Hajar Al Shehhi, visitrasalkhaimah.com The UAE is one of the most popular beach destinations among Russians, it's hard to disagree with this fact. “Subtlety” decided to get to know one of the pearls of the UAE – Ras al-Khaimah. Raki Philips, head of the emirate's Department of Tourism Development, kindly agreed to speak about the region. Spoiler: Ras Al Khaimah is Adventure. Nature. Perspective. Raki Philips, head of the Ras al Khaimah Tourism Development Department visitrasalkhaimah.com/bn/69/bn69emuzh2go4koogcw00ks08.jpg < /ul> There are countless experiences prepared here for every tourist. As one of the fastest growing destinations in the Middle East, the emirate has everything you need for a quality holiday for a wide variety of travellers. This is magnificent nature, and cultural and historical heritage, and endless deserts, and magnificent beaches, and, finally, family entertainment. Direct flights from Europe and Asia make Ras Al Khaimah even closer. As a matter of fact, for more than two billion people, we are four hours away. The emirate has been named one of the world's best places to visit in 2022 by Times magazine and one of the top destinations to visit in 2023 by CNN Travel. – 1.13 million tourists arrived in the emirate, up 15.6% from the previous year. 
The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah welcomes everyone
Where to stay?
In 2022, the number of rooms in the emirate grew by 17% due to the opening of new resorts: Intercontinental, Mövenpick and Radisson. We remain focused on accelerating the current pace, with 6,533 numbers to be added to our portfolio soon, resulting in a 70% increase in our current fund, one of the highest growth rates in the United Arab Emirates, by the way. Ras Al Khaimah is looking forward to welcoming world renowned brands such as Anantara, Sofitel, Marriott and Nobu.
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The opening of the famous hotel complex Wynn Resort is scheduled for 2026. The new resort is the largest investment project of the main developer of the emirate, Marjan, and the government holding RAK Hospitality in the field of tourism. With over 1,000 rooms, shops, conference rooms, spas, restaurants, lounges, and entertainment and gaming spaces, this mixed-use complex will attract a new segment of travelers to the emirate.
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Which tourist would like to visit the emirate?
The emirate's current goal is to attract 3 million tourists by 2030. What really sets us apart from established destinations is our ability to adapt quickly, keep up with new consumer trends and work tirelessly with our partners to create unforgettable travel experiences. So, for example, the latest research conducted by Booking.com showed that an increasing number of tourists want to get “basic” experiences, and half of the respondents, on the contrary, want to experience a “culture shock” – whether it's a trip to a completely different cultural environment with a different language or the discovery of little-known cities, rare gems.
As noted earlier, sustainability is also an important factor in achieving growth, which is why it is at the heart of everything we do in Ras Al Khaimah. Sustainability drives the tourism industry economically, environmentally and socially, and supports the quality of life of our citizens and workforce while caring for our unique environment.
We strive to protect our nature and vast expanses, therefore we invest in cultural monuments, and four cultural monuments are included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We are also proud of Suwaidi Pearls, the only authentic pearl farm in the UAE.
Towards Inclusion
We believe that tourism should be accessible to all and therefore we are heading towards inclusiveness. People with disabilities and individual needs pay about $8 billion a year for travel services. The WHO estimates that the number of people with disabilities will increase to 2 billion by 2050. Our close collaboration with accessibility experts provides insights into the nuances and challenges that people with disabilities face when traveling: one of the goals is coverage this audience. media=”(max-width: 549px)”> Hajar Al Shehhi, visitrasalkhaimah.com/54/03/54030c0bsx8owc0o4kok8kcsg.jpg
In addition, we are building our image as a center for extreme leisure activities throughout the Middle East, while promoting Ras Al Khaimah as a leading sports destination. About 50 competitions are held annually in the emirate, so it can easily be called a global sports destination: thousands of fans come to the emirate on purpose. In 2022, sporting events held in Ras Al Khaimah were broadcast in over 180 countries. Hajar Al Shehhi, visitrasalkhaimah.com/3m/78/3m781xvnz16o4g40s0ookk8o4.jpg Russia is one of the leading markets for Ras al-Khaimah, and we are constantly looking for ways to attract Russian tourists – leisure or family vacations, business trips or weddings. In 2022, 46% of the total number of foreign tourists were Russians. This was facilitated by partnerships with airlines, leading tour operators and DMC, as well as more than 40 events. In 2023, we will make even more efforts and hold more events and campaigns in Russia. 
Extreme and sports as a bonus
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