“RAK International Airport is becoming known amongst European charter operators as one of the leading charter airports in the region,” claimed Mohammed Qazi, CEO, RAK International Airport, adding that by focussing on efficiency and productivity, the airfield offers lower cost points making it favourable for aircraft operators.
“This is also coupled with the growth of tourism and increase in hotel room inventory. We expect to see further growth in this sector during this year and beyond,” added Qazi, noting that for smaller airlines, low-cost carriers (LCC) and charters, Ras Al Khaimah offers an ideal alternative to the larger UAE airports.
For this year, Qazi expects a 20 percent increase in aircraft movements, driven by Qatar Airways’ new services, due to begin this month, and the arrival of an Indian LCC in April. In addition, April will also mark the launch of maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.
RAK MEANS BUSINESS
In order to distinguish Ras Al Khaimah from the other emirates, Ras Al Khaimah TDA has been busy creating a new identity for the location, promoting it as a world-class destination of choice for authentic Arabian culture and experiences.
To better indentify source markets and reposition the emirate, the authority teamed up with TNS Global Marketing.
“Breaking down these insights by market and traveller type allows us to target stakeholders effectively with strategically planned content through marketing, communications, advertising and trade relations,” commented Mattar, further disclosing that the authority aims to leverage the wider spectrum of the tourism sector with a new brand and marketing campaign, which is set to be launched soon and will aim to reposition the destination on the global stage.
“The revamped brand will take into account the broad tourism offering, including business, events, culture, adventure, beach as well as families,” elaborated Mattar.
“The role of the marketing outreach will be twofold – firstly, to showcase Ras Al Khaimah’s rich and varied offering […], secondly to expand our operator and stakeholder partnerships. The emirate is also developing a city application [...] in order to offer information to visitors at their fingertips.”
Exploiting niche sectors is indeed a much talked-about subject in Ras Al Khaimah with Abou Mrad also stressing the significance of MICE.
Along parallel lines, Kaplanci added, “There are huge possibilities that Ras Al Khaimah will become the destination for meetings and events.
At Rixos Bab Al Bahr, we focus on corporate meetings, events and retreats, in addition to other private events. With the largest and most prestigious conference centre in Ras Al Khaimah, combined with our all-inclusive offering, it is an ideal choice for both small and larger scale events.”
As Mattar pinpointed, in 2015, the emirate played host to a number of events placing it in a strong position to attract further interest.
“The emirate aims to continue to bolster its meetings and incentives offering to leverage its appeal to international business travellers.
This [also means] a broader accommodation portfolio. Hotels and resorts will be aligned with destination offering requirements such as the specific needs of business travellers,” continued Mattar.
