Ras al khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has reported record-breaking performance for the first half of 2025, with over 654,000 visitor arrivals, marking a 6 percent year-on-year increase, alongside a 9 percent rise in tourism revenues.
According to Emirates News Agency, Raki Phillips, CEO of RAKTDA, stated that the results reflect the strength of the emirate's tourism strategy. He noted that the emirate is on track to welcome over 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030, thanks to expanded air connectivity, hotel developments, and a robust calendar of experiences.
Key achievements in the first half of 2025 included the highest-ever visitor arrivals for a six-month period, accompanied by a significant growth in tourism revenues and a 36 percent increase in MICE and weddings revenues. There was strong growth from markets with direct flights, including Romania (65 percent increase), Poland (56 percent), Uzbekistan (47 percent), and Belarus (30 percent). Record half-year arrivals were also seen from India (25 percent increase), China (9.2 percent), Russia (7 percent), and the UK (5 percent).
RAKTDA announced several high-profile hotel developments to support plans to double the number of hotel keys by 2030. New projects include Fairmont Al Marjan Island, Four Seasons Resort at Mina Al Arab, Taj Wellington Mews Al Marjan Island, and NH Collection Ras Al Khaimah. The opening of Rove Al Marjan Island added further diversity to the emirate's hospitality landscape.
The emirate's airport continued to enhance connectivity with new direct routes from cities such as Warsaw, Katowice, Bucharest, Moscow, Tashkent, and Prague. Plans are underway to expand the airport's capacity and improve the arrival experience.
RAKTDA formalized strategic partnerships to support destination growth, including agreements with Fujairah Adventures for inter-Emirate itineraries and with OTAs in China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to boost inbound travel. In digital innovation, RAKTDA signed MoUs with Huawei and Web3 platform Open World to advance smart tourism and blockchain-powered visitor engagement.
In events, the emirate hosted its largest-ever Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon with more than 10,000 attendees, alongside events such as the 7th UAE Tour Jebel Jais stage, the 4th Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour, and the HIGHLANDER hiking adventure. The debut of the 25km Jais Ride cycling challenge further established Ras Al Khaimah as a regional hub for outdoor and sports tourism.
