Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority Ties Up With Leading Russian Tour Operator to Launch Direct Charter Flights from Russia to Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE – August 2012. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) has signed an agreement with Natalie Tours, the first biggest Russian tour operator on UAE destination in cooperation with Alpha Tours that will see the introduction of twice weekly charter flights from Moscow to Ras Al Khaimah running from the end of October 2012 right through to the end of April 2013. The charter flights will be the first to directly connect Moscow with Ras Al Khaimah and is expected to bring an extra 7,000 Russian tourists to the emirate over that time, which will translate into an anticipated increased demand of 17,000 room nights for Ras Al Khaimah hotels.
Commenting on the new charter flight service, Victor Louis, Chief Operating Officer for the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said: “Since the establishment of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority in May last year Russia has always been a market set in our sights for further development in helping us reach our strategic goal of 1.2 million visitors by 2013. With its temperate climate, rugged terrain and superb beach facilities, Ras Al Khaimah offers an ideal getaway for visitors from Russia seeking sun, leisure, adventure and quality experiences with great value for money. Both our partner Natalie Tours and indeed ourselves are confident that our rising emirate will prove a popular new destination for many Russians as a standalone destination or in combination with other emirates.”
The direct Moscow charter flights are the culmination of numerous marketing and public relations efforts by Ras Al Khaimah TDA to promote the emirate to travel professionals, media and consumers to date, including the authority’s joint marketing activities with Natalie Tours when it conducted a roadshow in June 2012 to the cities of Kazan, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Ekateringburg and Samara, as well as to the cities of Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Surgut in July 2012.
Winner of prestigious awards in tourism since 2006, Natalie Tours is one of the leading Russian Tour operators with 20 years of experience in outbound tourism. With more than 5000 retail offices across Russia & CIS, it offers more than 20 various mass tourism destinations all over the world for Russian travellers including United Arab Emirates, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Thailand, Italy, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Andorra, Austria, Egypt and France.
The important role of catering & coordinating all needs of guests arriving on the charter from Moscow, goes to Destination Management Company Alpha Tours based in Dubai, as one of the award winning and leading destination management companies in the Arabian Gulf since 1996.
The Russian charter flights that are expected to seat 156 passengers per flights and will run twice a week on Tuesday and Fridays, will be operated by Transaero Airlines, the second largest airline that is operating an extensive domestic network and serving International routes.
A selection of the premium of Ras Al Khaimah hotels and resorts are included in the holiday packages such as The Cove Rotana Resort & Spa, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Hotel, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa, Al Hamra Palace Beach Resort, Al Hamra Village Golf & Beach Resort, Bin Majid Beach Resort, Bin Majid Beach Hotel and the Mangrove Hotel.
