São Paulo – The emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is investing to promote itself as a tourist destination for Brazilians. Since last March Boarding Gate has been a representative of the emirate in the country. Actions carried out included a road show that visited São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Goiânia, Recife, and Buenos Aires. According to Boarding Gate Brazil & Latin America Ras Al Khaimah Market manager Alex Bernardes, this is the first time the emirate is represented in Brazil.
The destination is a 40-minute drive from Dubai, one of the most famous of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. “This has been very well received as it is a novelty. People are used to sell [trips to] Dubai and Abu Dhabi. These are stop-over destinations. Ras Al Khaimah is a new, different option for those who already know Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” Bernardes told ANBA.
Bernardes says that the emirate now welcomes 1.2 million tourists a year, particularly Europeans. It aims at welcoming three million travelers by 2030. “As they have many hotel openings planned, they have to increase the range of arrivals, so they are promoting it in Latin and North America,” Bernardes said.
Adventure tourism
A region that features desert, sea and mountain, Ras Al Khaimah holds the UAE’s largest mountain, Jebel Jais, soaring at 1,934 meters. The mountain offers several adventure tourism attractions like ziplines, abseiling, climbing, and hiking.
Having approximately 345,000 residents, it still features a large number of Emirati. “Almost half of the people were born and raised here, and they are divided into tribes of the three environments: sea, desert and mountain. They are very proud of their culture and preserve the Emirati culture,” he said. Boarding Gate recommends at least three nights to visit the three regions of the emirate, or four nights for those who seek adventure tourism.
History
Ras Al Khaim has four heritage sites included in the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Tentative Lists: The Dhayah Fort; the island of Al Jazirah Al Hamra; Shimal, the location of an important archaeological site; and Julfar, a town closely situated to the Strait of Hormuz.
Another attraction of the emirate is pearl farming. “There’s a tour to a pearl farm that has been owned by the same family for centuries. Everybody loves it. They tell the story of the discovery of the first pearl and have a small jewelry store that sells necklaces where you make your own jewel,” Bernardes said.
The target audience are tourists with a high purchasing power. Mass tourism is not a goal, precisely to avoid exceeding the number of people, Bernardes said. “They are very concerned about nature there, EUR 120 million [USD 118 million] are being invested in sustainability, basic sanitation, recycling. The hospitality industry is comprised of five- and four-star hotels,” the executive said.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
