POSTCARD

RAS AL KHAIMAH

Making waves

The Northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is about to make a splash, having revealed plans to ramp up its cruise offering. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), in partnership with RAK Ports, has appointed Zaiton Consultancy to help develop and market this lucrative tourism segment. The announcement was made at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami in April where the Dubai-based consultancy participated as RAKTDA’s representative. One of the fastest growing sectors in tourism, cruising witnessed an annual passenger growth rate of 5.4 per cent from 2009 to 2019, with services now close to pre-pandemic levels. Recognising this potential RAKTDA and RAK Ports have worked together on several projects to further develop the emirate’s offering. This includes the transformation of its old ferry terminal into a modern and efficient boutique cruise passenger terminal and the development of marine transport infrastructure to support it. The authority has also invested in designing bespoke visitor itineraries for arrivals. RAKTDA’s strategy to attract three million visitors a year by 2030 includes ensuring destination accessibility via all means of transport, including luxury cruise ships. Cruise passengers will be welcomed to the emirate via the dedicated terminal, which is able to accommodate multiple cruise ships of up to 214 metres in length docking simultaneously. visitrasalkhaimah.com Gemma Greenwood