Ras Al Khaimah is emerging as the UAE’s hottest new travel destination offering up authentic Arabian holidays at a slice of the price

Tucked away at the very northern tip of the UAE, the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (or RAK as it's also known) was once a tiny fishing community — and while some travel books might still refer to RAK as a charming fishing village; they are seriously out of date.

These days, what RAK lacks in size it more than makes up for in ambition as the emirate gears up to position itself as the UAE's hottest new holiday hotspot — and a much cheaper alternative to Dubai — by investing millions into developing its tourism infrastructure with an impressive clutch of beautiful new hotels properties; exciting theme parks plus an expanding airline.

What's up in RAK?
Leading the charge to put Ras Al Khaimah on the international travellers' map is the newly-formed Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Investment and Development Authority (RAK TIDA), which was established just six months ago.

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The tourism authority has an ambitious strategy to double visitor numbers to the emirate from just 600,00 in 2010 to 1.2 million by 2013.

The emirate aims for tourism to eventually make up a fifth of its economy and has earmarked an investment of US$ 10 billion to be ploughed into tourism development projects over the coming year — including new hotels, resorts and villas, which will result in a total inventory of 10,000 hotel rooms in RAK by 2016.

Victor Louis, chief operating officer, RAK TIDA says tourism is at the forefront of the emirate's economic strategy going forward: “The importance of tourism for the future social, economic and environmental development and preservation of Ras Al Khaimah cannot be underestimated."

Louis says the plan is to target both GCC tourists for long weekend getaways to RAK, as well as the European markets of Germany, Russia, UK, Italy and Scandinavia.

The tourism board also wants to market RAK as a ideal incentives destination. “The emirate’s natural landscape of mountains, wadis, beaches and sea makes an excellent stage for unique team-building activities which will no doubt be attractive to many business travel segments," says Louis.

One major benefit Ras Al Khaimah can offer up over more established emirates is value for money, and the tourism board is keen to capitalise on that.

In a bid to corner the European package holidaymaker; RAK TIDA recently signed a major deal with German tour operator Reise Service Deutschland to bring six charter flights a week to the emirate from various locations in Germany and Austria — boosting tourist numbers by up to 50,000.

The charters will fly in from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Munich; and one a week from Vienna until June 3, 2012. RAK TIDA estimates that the additional tourists will require 490 hotel rooms daily over the nine-month period.

“Germany is an important market for Ras Al Khaimah and this new direct charter flight service is a strategic step in achieving our goal of 1.2 million visitors by 2013," says Louis.

RAK TIDA says it aims to further boost the profile of RAK as a tourism destination by taking part in major international travel shows — from World Travel Market this year to Arabian Travel Market 2012 — and is currently gearing up to unveil a brand new logo, website and branding for the destination.