Ras Al Khaimah tourism and hospitality partners meet Indian travel trade as demand grows for leisure, weddings and MICE
RAS AL KHAIMAH: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has stepped up its engagement with the Indian travel trade with a multi-city roadshow designed to strengthen relationships with travel agents and promote the emirate’s expanding portfolio of leisure, luxury, weddings and MICE experiences.
The roadshow opened in New Delhi and is scheduled to continue in Hyderabad and Bengaluru before concluding in Mumbai, bringing together 10 tourism and hospitality stakeholders from Ras Al Khaimah.
The delegation comprises four destination management companies and six hotels and resorts, giving Indian travel professionals an opportunity to engage directly with destination representatives and suppliers across accommodation, experiences and ground services.
The initiative comes as India continues to be an important international source market for Ras Al Khaimah. RAKTDA reported that visitor arrivals from India increased by 14% in 2025, alongside growth from several other key international markets.
India remains an important growth market
RAKTDA’s continued focus on India reflects the market’s importance to the emirate’s international tourism strategy.
The authority’s latest destination information highlights direct air connections between Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Indian cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kozhikode. RAKTDA says that around 42% of flights arriving at the airport are from Hyderabad and Mumbai, underlining the importance of Indian connectivity to the destination.
The emirate has also recorded growth in segments such as weddings and MICE. RAKTDA reported that revenue from MICE and weddings increased 25% in 2025, driven by high-value weddings, international conferences and incentive travel.
Against this backdrop, the India roadshow is intended to give travel advisers greater familiarity with Ras Al Khaimah’s expanding product range and create closer links between Indian sellers and tourism suppliers in the emirate.
Leisure, weddings and MICE drive demand
Representatives participating in the roadshow identified several Indian market segments showing growing interest in Ras Al Khaimah.
Rabia Eddaoudi, Director of Business Development at The Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, said the property had recorded an approximately 35% increase in Indian travellers compared with the previous year.
According to Eddaoudi, demand is coming from a combination of Indian residents in the UAE, destination weddings, MICE groups and individual leisure travellers.
The shift reflects the gradual expansion of Ras Al Khaimah’s profile among Indian travellers beyond its traditional role as an add-on to Dubai itineraries.
More experiences encourage longer stays
Ankit Kumar, Regional Sales Manager – North India at Royal Arabian Destination Management Company, said Indian demand was particularly visible among honeymooners, corporate groups and MICE travellers.
He estimated that business from India had grown by around 40% year on year in 2026, with leisure demand increasing by approximately 30–40%.
Kumar attributed the growing interest partly to the expanding range of experiences available in Ras Al Khaimah, including aviation activities, water sports and golf, alongside the development of new luxury accommodation.
The growing product base is also enabling the emirate to be positioned as a two- or three-night stay within a wider UAE itinerary, rather than solely as a day trip from Dubai.
RAKTDA itself positions Ras Al Khaimah around nature-based adventure, beaches, mountains, cultural experiences and MICE, while its current strategy aims to increase visitor numbers and spending through product development, connectivity and international market promotion.
Destination weddings emerge as a key segment
Indian destination weddings are another significant area of opportunity.
Rupinder Kaur, Sales Manager at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa, said the property hosted nine Indian destination weddings in its first year and nearly 15 the following year.
She cautioned, however, against using 2026 as a straightforward basis for year-on-year comparison because of the geopolitical environment.
Kaur also highlighted the continued efforts by RAKTDA to maintain its presence in India and work closely with travel trade partners.
For Indian wedding planners, Ras Al Khaimah offers a combination of beachfront resorts, luxury accommodation, outdoor venues and comparatively close proximity to Dubai, while providing a different destination proposition within the UAE.
Luxury development broadens the proposition
The emirate’s expanding hospitality pipeline is another factor shaping its appeal to the Indian market.
RAKTDA reported in July that Ras Al Khaimah welcomed more than 670,000 visitors in the first half of 2026, its strongest first-half performance on record. The authority also highlighted new hotel openings and major developments planned across the emirate.
Among the developments is Wynn Al Marjan Island, which RAKTDA says remains on track for 2027. The authority expects the project and other new hospitality developments to strengthen the emirate’s appeal to premium leisure travellers and international visitors.
The expanding hotel portfolio includes new properties aimed at both leisure and group travel, while existing resorts continue to develop their wedding, meetings and incentive offerings.
Weddings compete across the UAE
Mohammad Ashiq, Assistant Manager – MICE at Equifax Tourism and Travel, said destination weddings represented a particularly strong area of interest among his Indian clients.
He estimated that Ras Al Khaimah accounts for around 40% of the weddings handled by his company within the UAE, while noting that the emirate competes with Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the same business.
Ashiq also pointed to the destination’s beaches, nature experiences and expanding resort infrastructure as factors supporting its potential among Indian travellers.
He said flexibility from the destination authority when working with high-end wedding groups was another factor valued by travel trade partners.
Roadshows strengthen trade relationships
For RAKTDA, direct engagement with travel professionals remains an important element of international market development.
The authority’s MICE division says it regularly organises familiarisation trips, exhibitions, roadshows and workshops in key tourism markets and provides planners with support covering accommodation, venues and excursions.
The India roadshow follows that approach, allowing participating hotels and DMCs to meet agents directly and discuss product updates, group requirements and opportunities for collaboration.
The initiative also comes at a time when RAKTDA is expanding its international partnerships. In September 2026, the authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates to explore joint promotional activities, including marketing campaigns and trade and media familiarisation programmes across selected markets.
Building Ras Al Khaimah’s India proposition
Ras Al Khaimah has been seeking to position itself as more than an alternative to Dubai, developing a destination proposition built around nature, adventure, beaches, luxury resorts, cultural heritage and events.
Its tourism strategy targets more than 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030, with a focus on sustainable tourism, higher visitor spending, new tourism products, stronger connectivity and international market development.
For the Indian market, the combination of direct air connectivity, an expanding luxury hotel portfolio and demand for weddings, MICE and short leisure breaks provides a broad platform for further trade engagement.
The multi-city roadshow therefore comes at a significant stage in Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism development, as the emirate seeks to deepen its relationships with Indian travel sellers while introducing a growing range of experiences and accommodation options to one of its established international markets.
