Eliana Willis

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) announces its highest ever annual visitor numbers, with the Emirate welcoming over 1.13M overnight arrivals in 2022, a total increase of 15.6% vs 2021. The results exceed pre-pandemic levels indicating recovery and resilience in a volatile year.
Despite geopolitical and economic challenges, Ras Al Khaimah has become one of the fastest destinations to bounceback. In addition to its record visitor numbers, key 2022 achievements include:
Launched Balanced Tourism – its roadmap to becoming the regional leader in sustainable tourism by 2025Announced the largest foreign direct tourism investment project in partnership with Wynn Resorts, Marjan and RAK Hospitality HoldingIntercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), Mövenpick and Radisson brands entered the destination for the first time, marking a 17% annual growth in hotel supply to over 8,000 keys5,867 keys scheduled to be added over the next few years, a 70% increase on current inventory – among the highest growth rates in the UAE40% increase in international visitors driven by 90+ roadshows, trade fairs, workshops and media events across 24 marketsRecognition in Time magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places of 2022 and CNN Travel’s best destinations to visit in 2023Opened new attractions, including Jais Sledder, which has seen more than 100,000 visitors since its February opening, and the longest developed hiking trails in the EmirateAchieved a visitor satisfaction score (NPS) of over 80% – far above the industry average of 51Hosted over 50 events including the prestigious Global Citizen Forum, 15th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, Arab Aviation Summit, DP World Tour and secured the 2023 Minifootball (WMF) World Cup for the first time in the UAETwo Guinness World Record titles at the New Year’s Eve fireworks and drone displayAuthority named one of the Top 10 Great Places to Work in the Middle East 2022Commenting on the Emirate’s strong tourism performance in 2022, Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “It has been quite a year. From January’s announcement of the multibillion-dollar integrated Wynn resort – a project that will usher in a new era of economic development through tourism – to securing two Guinness World Record titles for our New Year’s Eve fireworks and drone display, we have shown just how dynamic we are as a destination. Our success has been led by our agility and responsiveness – and the fact we think like a community, shaping our experiences to appeal to visitors and residents. With a determined focus on diversification, accessibility and sustainability, we are on track for even bigger things in 2023.”
Strong December performance
The impressive full-year figures follow a strong December performance in which the Emirate welcomed its highest ever footfall in one month, with over 128,000 visitor arrivals, representing a 23% increase vs. December 2021. This was bolstered by the Emirate’s record-breaking New Year’s Eve fireworks and drones display, which saw Ras Al Khaimah set two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles for of the ‘largest number of operated multi-rotors/drones with a simultaneous fireworks display’ and the ‘largest aerial sentence formed by multirotors/drones. The festivities drew over 30,000 visitors with public events and hotels across the Emirate fully booked, making it the most visited show to date.ADVERTISEMENTSustainable agenda for 2023 and beyond
Under its bold new approach to sustainability – Balanced Tourism, the Emirate will become the regional leader in sustainable tourism by 2025, placing all aspects of sustainability at the centre of its investment, from environment and culture to conservation and liveability.
As part of this, the tourism authority aims to award more than 20 businesses with tourism certifications in the first year with the ultimate goal of obtaining the internationally recognised “Sustainable Tourism Destination” certificate for Ras Al Khaimah in 2023.
Promoting employee well-being, the tourism authority was named one of the Top 10 Great Places to Work in the Middle East 2022 – the highest placed government entity – as well as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and a Great Place to Work in 2021, the first and only organization in Ras Al Khaimah to be awarded this certification. The Authority has also introduced RAKFAM, a series of initiatives aimed at enriching connectivity, community life and facilities for tourism sector employees in the Emirate.
Driving international tourism
2022 also saw a 40% increase in international visitors, with key source markets including Kazakhstan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Czech Republic. This was driven by a series of partnerships with airlines and leading tour operators to target emerging and growing source markets, supported by 90+ events and roadshows in 24 markets worldwide. In a further boost for the Emirate’s accessibility, Ras Al Khaimah also received three luxury cruises in 2022, welcoming over 2,500 passengers and crew. With a focus on developing its burgeoning cruise sector, the Emirate aims to attract 50 cruise ship calls each season, and over 10,000 passengers within the next few years.
Boosting the tourism and hospitality offering
New hotels and resorts opened in 2022, increasing the Emirate’s inventory by 17% to reach over 8,000 keys. The Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), Mövenpick and Radisson brands entered the destination for the first time with the opening of the InterContinental Mina Al Arab, Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island and the Radisson Resort Ras Al Khaimah Marjan Island.
With 19 upcoming properties, including global brands like Marriott, Millennium, Anantara and Sofitel, and 5,867 keys in the pipeline over the next few years, a 70% increase versus current inventory and one of the highest development rates in the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism vision continues to gain momentum.  A major addition will be the multibillion-dollar integrated resort development with Wynn Resorts in 2026, announced early last year. The multipurpose integrated resort marks the largest-of-its-kind foreign direct investment in Ras Al Khaimah and will include 1,000+ rooms, shopping, meeting and convention facilities, spa, more than 10 restaurants and lounges, extensive entertainment choices, and gaming area.
Another key feat for last year was Ras Al Khaimah’s inclusion in Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2022 – a highly coveted list of 50 must-visit global destinations – in recognition of its adventure offerings and stunning, unique topography and geodiversity. To further bolster the Emirate’s nature positioning and attract both international and domestic visitors, the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority also announced the opening of key new sustainable attractions, including the Jais Sledder, the region’s longest toboggan ride, which has welcomed over 100,000 visitors since opening in February.

Growing Ras Al Khaimah’s position as a world-class events hub
The Emirate’s position as a leading sporting destination went from strength to strength, with over 50 events hosted. Highlights included the 15th RAK Half Marathon, 23rd Annual Gumball 3000 rally, the first-ever Middle East route for the world-renowned supercar rally, the UAE Tour cycling and the DP World Tour golf championship. Ras Al Khaimah also won the competitive bid to host the 2023 Minifootball World Cup, beating Budapest and Manila to add the mega international football competition to its growing roster.
Additionally, the Emirate hosted numerous events and conferences, including the Arab Aviation Summit for the second consecutive year and the first Pacific Asia Travel Association Annual Summit in the Middle East. It also secured a three-year partnership with the Global Citizen Forum to host its prestigious annual summit.
To find out more about the wealth of experiences in Ras Al Khaimah, please visit visitrasalkhaimah.com or visitjebeljais.com

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Charger untraceable. A socket behind locks. Or no luck after 10 attempts. For the growing population of electric drivers this kind of charge anxiety is the major disadvantage of EV ownership. New booking site SleeperCharger ensures this will be a thing of the past.Via SleeperCharger.com travellers can choose out of 60.000 hotels with Guaranteed a charger within 250 metres.
What’s new? Isn’t this already available at regular booking sites?
At regular booking sites you can tick the box “charging at accommodation”. However, this information is based solely on what the proprietor says. Research by SleeperCharger shows that the chargers are simply not available at 40% of hotels that say they have an EV charger.
SleeperCharger has partnered with Expedia Group to offer 10,000 business hotels, holiday resorts and boutique accommodations with Guaranteed charging facilities onsite. Leveraging Expedia Group’s new Rapid 3 API, SleeperCharger.com lists reviews, scores and other facilities as well as leveraging Expedia Group’s dynamic prices for instant search and book functionalities.
SleeperCharger.com also links 50.000 hotels with public charging stations within 250 metres. The company is now the only and largest provider of hotels with guaranteed chargers available within a 5 minute walk. After a long drive and an almost empty battery, this offers peace of mind and a carefree trip.ADVERTISEMENTDriven entrepreneurs with a track record in sustainable travel and mobility
Behind SleeperCharger are two driven entrepreneurs, Andrew Morten and Victor van Tol.  Andrew Morten previously founded the travel companies TravelEssence, Little America- Downunder and America travel specialists. Victor van Tol is the founder of SnappCar, one of the largest European car-sharing platforms.
Personal frustration provided the spark to start the company
Andrew booked a place in Vosage National Park in France which said to offer a charging station. It was a standard 240-volt plug that blackout half the property.While skiing with his son in Winterberg, Germany Victor nearly ran out of battery and had problems with charging stations that were not there or were not functioning.Sustainability is at the heart of the company. That is why it automatically offers CO2 overcompensation in the price for every hotel booked. The compensation is done through certified Gold Standard compensation projects.

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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is strengthening the ongoing “Visit Thailand Year: Amazing New Chapters” campaign towards a meaningful travel direction.Underlining the kingdom’s soft power foundations and experience-based tourism, key strategies include elevating supply and sustainable standards, and raising awareness among stakeholders about the importance of being hospitable hosts to all visitors.
In its first year, the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022’ campaign was at the forefront of the kingdom’s efforts to drive the Thai economy forward. Thailand welcomed 11.8 million international tourists and recorded 189 million domestic trips – a milestone achievement that reflected the successful restoration of the country’s tourism industry from the concerted efforts of all stakeholders.
With this tourism revival continuing to pick up momentum amid volatile global challenges, Thailand is aiming for 2.38 trillion Baht in overall tourism revenue in 2023 – representing a return to 80% of the pre-pandemic level seen in 2019.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “The 2023 target is a result of a carefully planned strategy to continue the milestone achievement of 2022. The “Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters” campaign represents a commitment from TAT and all stakeholders in the public and private sectors, as well as the Thai people to maintain tourists’ confidence in Thailand as a preferred tourist destination.”
Through the “Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters” campaign, TAT is placing emphasis on the promotion and development of high value and sustainable tourism in Thailand. This includes elevating the tourism supply (Shape Supply) with an aim to offer experience-based tourism, and leveraging the kingdom’s 5F soft-power foundations – Food, Film, Festival, Fight and Fashion – to offer meaningful travel experiences in Thailand.ADVERTISEMENT“Amazing Thailand” branding
TAT will continue to communicate and strengthen the long-standing ‘Amazing Thailand’ branding in its global campaign. This will be accentuated by the “Amazing New Chapters” concept to promote Thai soft-power cultural values and inspire travellers from around the world to visit Thailand once again, and further reaffirm the kingdom’s well-established status as one of the world’s most popular holiday spots.
Meanwhile, it is introducing the new “Create Your Right Moment” concept in its domestic campaign to inspire domestic travellers to travel more within the country.
“Amazing 5F and More”
TAT is introducing the new “Amazing 5F and More” concept, aimed at delivering meaningful travel experiences in various aspects such as wellness, luxury, and Thainess. At the same time, it is placing focus on enhancing the quality of tourism products and services in order to drive the Thai tourism industry towards sustainable growth. Among key activities include the Good Host New Chapter Season 2 project, the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification, and the 14th Thailand Tourism Awards.
A series of events to highlight the kingdom’s 5F soft-power foundations – Food, Film, Festival, Fight and Fashion – will take place throughout the year.
Food – at least two events are planned: Amazing Thai Tastes during March-June and Bangkok International Food Festival in June.Festival – events include Chinese New Year in January, Songkran Thai New Year in April, and Loi Krathong in November.Film – the Amazing Film Festival Experience in August, while a Y series Meet & Greet event is being planned.Fight – Amazing Muay Thai Festival in February.Fashion – Valentine Fashion TV Beach Award Festival in February.Policy and Planning
To drive tourism towards sustainability, TAT is adopting the BCG Model to highlight Gastronomy Tourism. By collecting and analysing data under ‘From Policy Lab to Real Product’ strategy, TAT has come up with the Best Practice Model to showcase organic cuisine and to transform to inclusive business and smart organic farmer, which leads to generating income for the local community.
You may also be interested in:  Four Seasons Hotel Amman voted #1 Top City Hotel in Jordan by Travel + Leisure readersTechnology and Innovation
Seeing ‘Digital as a Game Changer’, TAT leverages technology and innovation to add value and transform Thai tourism to Smart Tourism. It is tapping into Digital Asset holders via the TAT NFTs projects, promoting Thai tourism products and services with virtual arts and Metaverse. It introduces the ‘3I’ concept: Intelligence – using Big Data and building Digital Literacy for TAT employees, Innovation – developing new innovation and Travel Tech, and Investment – investing in digital transformation, such as Start-up, Venture Capital, Cloud funding, etc.
TAT is committed to developing its human resources to be ready to support and collaborate with the Thai tourism industry, while strengthening and improving its work processes through innovation and technology.
International Market
TAT is adopting the ‘Great Resumption Episode II’ strategy for short-haul markets.This include:
1)  China is back – Placing focus on tapping emerging segments and enhancing cooperation with the airlines to increase air access flights to cater to the increasing demands and promoting new modes of travelling, such as an overland border.
2) 7 Digits Target – Focusing on rapidly growing markets, such as China, Malaysia, India, and South Korea, as well as cooperating with partner agents and airlines.
3) Colour Your Life by Amazing Thailand – Seamlessly integrating the Amazing Thailand brand in the tourist’s slice of life through on-site and virtual marketing promotional events.
4) Responsible Tourism – Supporting CSR and responsible tourism projects, such as Reborn the Nature to advocate tourism sustainability.
5) 2 Tier, Second to None – Encouraging visitors to visit the emerging destinations, while sourcing new tourist segments from secondary cities in South Korea, China, India, Vietnam, and Malaysia.For long-haul markets, TAT is adopting the ‘A-B-C-D Fast Forward’ strategy.
A – Airline Focus to continue the collaboration with the leading airlines; such as, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Oman Air to expand new routes and increase the frequency of direct flights.
B – Big Cities and Beyond to penetrate new markets in major and secondary cities; such as Bucharest in Romania, and Sofia in Bulgaria.
C – Collaboration is Key to work with new partners including airlines; such as, Delta Airlines, Air Canada, FlyDubai, and Aeroflot, and online travel agency; such as, Almosafer and SAGA Holidays.
D – Destination for All to promote Thailand as an “All-year round Destination” to meet the demand for visitors with regardless of seasons and with all segments including family, medical and wellness in the Middle East or the LGBTQ+ in Europe and America.
Domestic Market
TAT is placing focus on ‘Value over Volume’ under the new ‘Travel Thailand in Limited Edition’ concept highlighting the 5F Soft Powers to cater to the various needs of domestic travellers.
Various events are being planned for 2023 to inspire domestic travel, including Travel 365 days in Amazing Thailand, Vijit Thailand 2023, and Amazing Thailand Festival Experience 2023.
TAT is also continuing its efforts to encourage domestic travellers to visit emerging destinations during weekdays to expand the expenditure and balance the capacity of the destinations.
2023 Targets
TAT expects to welcome 25 million international tourists and inspire 250 million domestic trips in 2023. The target for overall tourism revenue is 2.38 trillion Baht comprising 670-880 billion Baht from domestic tourism and 1.5 trillion Baht from international tourism.

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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released results from a new consumer sentiment survey, showing the demand for cruise holidays continues to increase.The survey was carried out with 4,500 domestic and international travellers. It reveals that for UK passengers:
91% of respondents who have cruised previously said they intend to take a holiday at sea again, a 14% increase from 2019Of those who have never cruised, 72% are open to cruising, a 1% increase from 2019Of these two groups, 58% say they will book a cruise in the next two years61% of respondents who have cruised previously said they later returned to a destination they had first visited via cruise ship. The Mediterranean and Caribbean are the most re-visited destinations.
Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland managing director, said: “With the crucial Wave booking period now well under way, 2023 is shaping up to be a very positive year for the cruise industry, so we’re thrilled to see this level of interest and demand from holidaymakers. The incredible array of cruise ships, destinations and onboard experiences means there really is something for everyone who is considering a sea getaway.”
The sentiment data is based on an independent, international survey of 4,500 holidaymakers in nine countries: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, Canada, Australia and Brazil.

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