RAK to witness tourism boom
Dubai: RAK Tourism, the organisation tasked to support, promote and 
attract tourism initiatives to Ras Al Khaimah, on Sunday said, nearly two dozen five-star hotels plus several more premium hotel and hotel apartment operators are poised to start operations in Ras Al Khaimah within the next five years.
"The new hotels are expected to more than double the current supply of hotel rooms in Ras Al Khaimah, helping accommodate the projected 2.5 million tourists in the emirate by 2012," an emailed statement said.
"From a current capacity of over 1,800 hotel rooms, the influx of new hotel developments - including at least 20 internationally renowned five-star hotels - will deliver up to 3,700 new rooms by 2012."
Moreover, RAK Tourism is bringing in a wide range of hotel brands with the aim of providing a diverse selection of speciality offerings and services to suit various tourist profiles.
"Hotel development has jumped to a new level in Ras Al Khaimah as tourism activities continue to attract domestic, regional and international tourists to the emirate. It is also part of our strategy to keep watch for unique and innovative hotel operators in a bid to diversify our portfolio of hotels in the emirate. There is still so much room for expansion in this sector and we are looking forward to establishing partnerships with more world-renowned hotel brands in the future," Khater Massaad, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority, said in a statement.
A key indicator of Ras Al Khaimah's promising tourism business climate is the exceptionally high occupancy rates with most of the major hotels exceeding 85 per cent.
The new five-star hotels expected within the next few years will significantly beef up Ras Al Khaimah's formidable roster of five-star hotels, which consists of the Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort, Al Hamra Village Townhouse and Golf Resort, Khatt Springs Hotel and Spa, Hilton Beach Resort and Spa, and Hilton Ras Al Khaimah - collectively combining for nearly 1,000 five-star hotel rooms.
Furthermore, Hilton will have another hotel due by December 2008, supplying an additional 325 top-class hotel rooms. On top of five-star hotels, Ras Al Khaimah offers a premium selection of four-star, three-star and two-star hotels and hotel apartments.