This chapter includes the following articles.
Tourism
Though one of the smaller emirates in the UAE, RAK is developing as a tourism destination. The emirate received 835,200 tourists in 2011, a significant increase over the previous year, which saw 600,000 visitors. There are hopes that these figures will continue to rise to reach 1.2m by 2013. To facilitate this, RAK International Airport is currently being expanded at a cost of $27m. New runways are being built and passenger and cargo terminals are being extended. The RAK Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) has also set a target to add 10,000 hotel rooms by 2016. Going forward, the emirate is looking to capitalise on cruise tourism by creating tailor-made excursions for cruise arrivals, who are expected to exceed 20,000 in the 2012-13 season. This chapter includes an interview with Victor Louis, COO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Hospitality Group.
