Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) announces strategic partnership with Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) and Ctrip Destination Marketing have this week announced a strategic cooperative marketing agreement aimed at promoting the Emirate as a new destination for Chinese tourists.

The agreement was signed at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and will run initially from 1^st May 2016 until 30^th April 2017. The co-marketing partnership will generate significant awareness about Ras Al Khaimah in China and is aimed at increasing Chinese outbound travel and tourism to the destination.

The cooperation will be focused on the promotion of Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class tourism destination for authentic culture and nature based Arabian experiences.  It will include the development of tailor made travel packages to Ras Al Khaimah and a series of high-profile online marketing campaigns to drive awareness and bookings.  

“We’re pleased to be joining forces with the largest outbound online travel company in China to promote Ras Al Khaimah as the premier destination for authentic Arabian experiences, great beach resorts and adventures”, said Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer of the Ras Al Khaimah TDA. “The partnership with Ctrip represents our increased focus on China as a key source market for tourism to Ras Al Khaimah. We witnessed an 82 percent rise in Chinese visitors in 2015, in comparison to 2014. ”

Ms. Jiang Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Destination Marketing & Business Development Department  of Ctrip said: “Ras Al Khaimah holds a special appeal to our target market with its 62 kilometres of pristine beaches, fantastic natural scenery and rich cultural and sporting activities. We are looking forward to leveraging our leading position in the Chinese online travel market to attract more visitors to Ras Al Khaimah. We are experts in tailoring travel packages to the needs of the Chinese traveller, and this partnership further strengthens our links with the UAE, bringing even wider tourism offerings to our customers.”

Picture caption (from left to right):  Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and Ms. Jiang Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Destination Marketing & Business Development Department of Ctrip.