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Exclusive Interview NITN Exclusive: What is Ras Al Khaimah Really Like?
NI Travel News’ Sarah Pickering caught up with Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, to find out what the capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has to offer our readers...
1. What unique experiences does Ras Al Khaimah have to offer, and why should our readers visit Ras Al Khaimah ahead of the likes of Dubai? This city has everything; From adrenaline filled adventure, to sun-soaked beaches. Families, couples and solo travellers of the like will find their bliss right here in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
Raki takes us through the must see’s and do’s of the city, along with how to get there for the UK and Ireland, what covid means for the destination and the future will look like for the UAE.
It’s been a very busy year for us, but especially in the last week with the Arabian travel market taking place in Dubai, we were very excited to participate in it and it was a great time where everyone was able to come together. There’s a lot of buzz and we had the opportunity to really showcase our destination. Ras Al Khaimah is the northernmost emirate. We’re 45 minutes outside of Dubai International Airport. But we’re known as the nature emirate. So we’ve got the highest mountains in the UAE, Jebel Jais, which is approximately 1934 meters. But it’s a stunning destination with a really dramatic topography. 64 kilometers of beach front and and and we’ve got a really rich history with 7000 years of history and for tentative UNESCO heritage sites. So really it’s a great destination that has a lot to
offer, from adventure, from relaxation, from culture and history, and definitely a little bit of sun and sand. Yeah, I mean Ras Al Khamiah is unique in its own way, but we do complement Dubai as a sister emirate. But we really are the adventure hub of the Middle East and and and the nature hub of the Middle East. So quite a few things that we’ve got were very well known for the Jebel Jais flight, which is the longest zipline in the world, but adjacent to that, we also have the viewing deck park and the and the Jky tour.
Which is actually a series of seven exhilarating ziplines
that stretch over 5 kilometers. You get sort of a bird’s eye view of the mountain, but we offer everything from a hot air balloon experience. AJ Sletter, which is the region’s longest toboggan ride, 1484 of the highest restaurant in the UAE, the Bear Grylls Explorers camp, so Bear Grylls has developed a really unique explorers camp over there, so all of that is the excitement that happens up on the mountain. In addition to all the.
Hiking trails and and the paragliding and all the unique experiences that come with it. But then when you come back to culture and history, you know we have a 7000 years of history of everything from the suites Pearl Farm where you get to see a, a native Pearl diver and what that experience goes through Jazeera Hamra, which is a 19 century fisherman’s village which was the last fourth that stood against the British invasion. So all of that history comes together with a beautiful
culture. And to top it off, 64 kilometers of white sand beach with some great hotel brands, luxury brands like the Ritz Carlton and the Waldorf and then a variety of other options from mid scale to glamping experiences all available in this beautiful destination. 2. What work has been done to increase tourism to the region? There’s been a couple of things. The first thing, the pandemic really taught us a couple of things is one, people are looking for experiences and people are looking for nature and space and we’re very blessed to do that. I mean, to have that. So if you look at the Hilton resort, that’s a 1.6 kilometer beach front compared to maybe other destinations that have itsy bitsy, teeny weeny little beaches. So we actually have some big ones. In addition to that, obviously the nature element, but the safety and security that rack has really focused on has been great all of last year. We covered the PCR test cost that our guests would have incurred. So all you have to do is spend the night in Ras Al Khaimah and we would cover the charge of your PCR return. So those are things that really enhance the destination. But in addition to that last year at ATM we announced.
A half a billion Durham investment, which is about £100 million into 20 sustainable destinations. Earth hotels altitude, which is an eco based hotel concept at the top of the mountain. Sage which is a mantis collection Mountain Lodge.
. We have a mega beachfront development that we’re doing and numerous other attractions that we’re very much focused on that offer a balance of development. However, with the importance of the core of sustainability
Jonathan Millar of Bryan Somers Travel headed to Dubai for the Arabian travel Market NI Travel News’ Sarah Pickering caught up with CEO Raki Phillips
in its as its as a core to its part of it. 3. In terms of covid-19, what do travellers need to do to enter Ras Al Khaimah? In terms of COVID, I mean we are open to fully vaccinated travelers.
There’s no issue for them. Traveling in and out of the UAE has been easy. Some destinations do require a PCR test prior to arrival, but most of those have been lifted and travel in and out of the UAE is extremely easy. So I think a lot of the challenges that you had in previous years, you no longer faced. Nowadays the other thing to remember is we are the fastest.
And the most recovered destination in the world. So when you look at the UAE and especially Russell Schema, we have recovered faster than many of the other destinations around the world from our tourism employees. We’re at 100% vaccination rate and and it’s it’s it’s it’s the ease of traveling back to the UE is as simple as it used to be pre pandemic. 4. How accessible is Ras Al Khaimah to tourists here in the UK and Ireland? Extremely accessible. The UAE is very welcoming to the UK and Ireland travellers. They are one of our top visitors that come so,
so the UK has always been one of our top markets.
Ease of accessibility, direct flights, there’s multiple direct flights from all major UK and Ireland cities directly into Dubai International Airport. Russell came as blessed as I said earlier, 45 minute drive from Dubai International Airport 35 minutes from Sharjah International Airport
and we have our own airport right here in Russell. Comma, which would be easy. We work with a lot of
charter
flights.it’s very, very convenient to be able to do, I believe all the major carriers come in. I’d be surprised if there was a single day of the year that we wouldn’t have a flight coming from the UK or Ireland. 5.What do you suggest that our readers do when they come to Ras Al Khamiah? Definitely experienced Jebel Jais, so being at the highest mountain in the UAE is very exciting. If you’ve got an adventurous side to you, definitely experience the Jebel Jais flight, the longest zipline in the world, and then right after it you pop over and do the toboggan ride, the JS letter dying at the highest restaurant. If you’re not as adventurous, then maybe go on a hike. So all of that is fantastic to be able to do on the mountain. From a cultural perspective, the Suwaidi Pro Farm is a really unique experience that’s only available in Russell Hammer and that takes you back to the way the Emiratis used to make their living is through Pearl diving before the discovery of oil and to see that whole process curated in such a beautiful way as is a wonderful experience. And then if you’re a golfer and because I know a lot of your readers enjoy golf, the Al Hamra Golf course. We just recently hosted the European Championship here and it was a phenomenal, phenomenal experience. So we have beautiful golf courses and then the most important reason to come here is relaxation on the beach, being able to get one of those killer 10s so that everyone will be jealous when you’re back home.
June 2022 Travel News
NORTHERN IRELAND RERPRESENTED AT THE ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET 2022
RABIAN Travel Market (ATM) 2022 has welcomed the world to the UAE from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May, playing host to 1,500 exhibitors, representatives from 112 global destinations, and an anticipated 20,000 attendees. The live show was followed by ATM Virtual, which run from Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 May. Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in collaboration with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the 29th edition of ATM formed an essential part of the UAE’s annual Arabian Travel Week. In keeping with this year’s theme of ‘The future
A
of international travel and tourism’, ATM 2022 will feature a huge selection of sessions and events, enabling industry professionals from around the world to discuss current trends and explore long- term opportunities within the fields of travel, transportation, tourism, hospitality, events, attractions and more.
Jonathan Millar of Bryan Somers Travel, a
luxury travel agency based in Saintfield, County down, travelled to Dubai to experience th eArabian Travel market and what it has to offer the travel trade here in Northern Ireland and what it can offer travellers arriving form Northern Ireland. “The differences in the properties, and we have
been out in Dubai, and selling it, for over 20 years now and have watched as the destination has grown from something that was fairly straight forward in terms of go there, sun and that’s it, it a destination that really has an awful lot more to offer with the type of hotels. The price point of the hotels, the various shopping centres…a lot of activity based options now as well. It is also noticeable that the hotels are trying different things; different restaurants coming in and probably more celebrity chef-type [restaurants], but not all are high end,so it gives that familiarity with some places. There is no doubt that the UK and Irish market is their top market, you can see it from the way the hotels are designed, but just in general ,the place has improved.” Jonathan was hosted in Dubai ahead of theArabian Travel market , where he experienced brand new hotels, catering and hospitality. “We were the first people in the world who got to go in and see the new Atlantis hotel , which is the big new project,although slightly behind of schedule, they are confident they are going to be opening at the end of November 2022. It is just something that dominates the skyline at the top of the palm and it will bring another level to this area because that is what they are after and it is at the price point that people want.” “In terms of the actual travel market itself, the hotel chains including the Jumeirah, the Hiltons, the Bulgaria, Armani had put in a huge amount of money into their stands and it shows that they are expecting us to bounce back and that their interest is there. The Jumeirah threw a party for the trade and it was like nothing I have ever seen; they had their proper chefs out doing the food, it was attention to detail, and I think that people get caught up in the ‘Dubai’s this and Dubai’s that; Dubai is a spot where if you want good service in a safe environment, and you don’t mind paying a little bit more overall, then you are never going to be disappointed” NI Travel News spoke with jonathan about his experience travelling to the destination; “ The airport is easy to navigate and they are very good in their safety. They were very good with the vaccination programme to begin with and they are still on masks indoors, and you get that feeling that hotels are implementing that well and you certainly feel there is a safe aspect to it from that side to make people feel comfortable. I flew with Emirates and I stayed in the address
Dubai marina start for the first couple of nights because it is quite a good location for what I was doing for the first couple of days and then I was at the top of the palm where our suppliers had a thank you weekend in a hotel called The Eight and then I actually stayed in the Grand Hyatt which is up beside the exhibition centre which has been here forever, but, I was really impressed and it is not bad value. Good pool. Nice rooms, good location; The thing is, you could pick and choose your price point. It is effectively a 5 star location and I think as long as people go with that in mind, they are going to get
the holiday they think they are going to have.”
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