Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and initiates its domestic and overseas promotions, will utilise this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to springboard its experiential tourism product and highlight its recent partnership with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

Supported by 18 travel and tourism stakeholders comprising leading hotels, destination attractions, DMC partners and other government entities across the northern emirate, RAKTDA will highlight recent developments in its diverse tourism offering that are driving the destination’s year-round appeal.

“Ras Al Khaimah’s innate charm and authentic heritage has long attracted visitors from across the globe, each looking to create their own unique memories. Through a careful strategy, Ras Al Khaimah has developed a range of experiential travel products that complement the destination’s hidden gems and deliver an ideal holiday destination for all,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA.

“A greater number of travellers are seeking value for money experiences that deliver a story they can share with their friends and families when they return home. Ras Al Khaimah’s untouched natural beauty and culture heritage dates back more than 7,000 years and provides the ideal canvas for these memories.”

In addition to the focus on Jebel Jais, which now hosts the region’s first commercial Via Ferrata, a number of additional adventurous tourism pursuits and a calendar of extreme sporting tournaments, RAKTDA will leverage ATM to triumph its terracotta deserts, pristine coastline and diverse cultural experiences. From the UAE’s only beach horse riding product, the country’s highest mountain peak, date farms in oases, and the 470 metre Jebel Jais Via Ferrata, Ras Al Khaimah provides an experience suited for every kind of traveller.

Following its partnership with UNWTO earlier this year which saw the authority sign as a sponsor of the United Nations’ 2017 Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, Mattar will participate at the UNWTO & ATM Ministerial Forum on 24 April. Speaking in the ‘Tourism’s contribution to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and diversification in the MENA region’ session, Mattar will join peers from across the travel and tourism industry to discuss pressing industry issues.

Representatives from RAKTDA and its gathered stakeholders will be available to share updates and future plans at stand ME3510 during Arabian Travel Market 2017, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre between 24-27 April.