Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has revealed the emirate is on track to surpass its annual visitor target.

The emirate’s hotels reported a ten per cent year-on-year increase in international guest arrivals during the first six months of the year. 

In addition to double-digit year-on-year growth in guest arrivals during half one, average hotel occupancy jumped to 72.7 per cent - an increase of 4.7 per cent on the corresponding six-month period in 2016.

Robust first half growth was posted across all key performance indicators with total guest nights up 17.7 per cent, average length of stay increasing by 10.5 per cent to 3.9 days from 3.5 days last year, and room revenue increasing by 13.3 per cent.

The results also include a significant year-on-year boost in monthly figures for June as hotels reported a mammoth 27 per cent year-on-year increase in guest arrivals.

The holy month of Ramadan also saw a significant surge in visitor arrivals, with the emirate’s hotels reporting a 37.6 per cent year-on-year increase compared with the corresponding period last year.

With Ras Al Khaimah targeting 900,000 visitor arrivals during 2017, the emirate has already recorded half-year guest arrivals of 390,499 between January and June – up 6.5 per cent on half one arrivals last year.

Haitham Mattar, chief executive, RAKTDA, believes the best-ever half one, Ramadan and June figures put the emirate in a solid position to optimise the traditional peak season of late summer and quarter four.

“While our excellent half one results highlight continued year-on-year growth in Ras Al Khaimah’s visitor numbers, it is the Ramadan and June results that are particularly promising,” said Mattar.

“Our best-ever figures during these typically lower periods of occupancy are a direct result of strategic initiatives and promotional activities undertaken in domestic and international source markets – we are thrilled to see those efforts to boost summer numbers bearing immediate fruit.”