UAE City Predicts 30% Growth In Indian Tourist Arrivals

Mumbai: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) on Wednesday said it welcomed 25,493 Indian travellers in 2024, and is expecting 30 per cent growth in footfalls this year. Ras Al Khaimah, the sixth-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), introduced an initiative for Indians, including complimentary visas for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and wedding events, RAKTDA said in a statement.

The initiative, launched in July 2024, will run through March 2025 to offer groups an even greater incentive to stage their wedding or corporate event in Ras Al Khaimah. Under this initiative, RAKTDA will provide free visas for Indian groups booking a minimum two-night stay in any of the hotels. It is also open to groups with at least 100 guests per night, it added. “With all these initiatives, we expect arrivals from India to witness 30 per cent growth this year. In 2024, India arrivals stood at 25,493 travellers,” RAKTDA added.

According to RAKTDA CEO Raki Phillips, several factors contributed to this robust performance in 2024, including the opening of new hotels and resorts, a growing calendar of international events, increased connectivity to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, best-in-class marketing campaigns and over 2,200 international activities and market engagements across 70 cities.

Meanwhile, Ras Al Khaimah welcomed a record-high 1.28 million overnight arrivals in 2024, marking a 12 per cent growth in tourism revenues and a 15 per cent rise in MICE visitors. “Looking ahead, our vision extends beyond attracting more visitors; we aim to position Ras Al Khaimah as a destination of the future.