Ras Al Khaimah, 2013-07-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — For the second year RAK Airways participated in the Arabian Travel Market under the umbrella of RAK Tourism Authority and the media clout was excellent. The power-packed management team H.E. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of Department of Civil Aviation and Vice-Chairman of RAK Airways along with Mr. Murabit Al Sawaf, President and CEO of RAK Airways spoke of the growth of the airline and its strategic positioning.
H.E. Sheikh Salem was quoted by the National newspaper saying, ‘ RAK is eager to tap into the tourism market and expand its wings. We are expanding the airport and because there is great potential for tourism coming into the UAE and we want to take part in that growth. About 40% of visitors come from Germany, with the UK accounting for as much as 35% of traffic to the emirate’.
H.E. Sheikh Salem also added, ‘ While rising hotel occupancy in Dubai diverts more business north, Ras Al Khaimah is also benefitting from rising passenger numbers through its own airport.’
‘Ras Al Khaimah is a unique destination because it combines mountains, desert safaris, beaches, natural history, culture and tradition. What Ras Al Khaimah has no one does – we have a history of 7,000 years, archaeology, tombs and forts. No other area in this region has such treasures. So a tourist can enjoy a unique experience. It’s also an emerging market,’ was the quote of Sheikh Salem in the Gulf News Tabloid.
‘The emirate is at present expanding its airport and airline, along with a chartered flight network to create better facilities for incoming tourists. With a yearly growth rate of 5 per cent in tourism, the biggest challenge to the emirate is accommodation. We are no more a small player. We are positioning ourselves with big brands – we have Banyan Tree, The Warldorf Astoria opening in August, Rotana, Hilton – so we are partnering with the right people to sell ourselves as a tourist destination,’ said Sheikh Salem. ‘ Our challenge is that we don’t have enough rooms. If we did, we’d sell like a piece of cake. We have 3,000 rooms of 5-star hotels, we are adding 2,000 this year, but it’s not enough. We need a minimum of 15,000 to sell a destination and by 2016 we shall have 10,000. I would like to see that figure earlier.’
The media focus was eminently on Ras Al Khaimah and RAK Airways top management took the show.
For media enquiries contact +971 7 207 5131 or email elizabeth.percy@rakairways.com
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RAK Airways attended the Arabian Travel Market under the umbrella of RAK Tourism Authority