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RAS AL KHAIMAH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA’S LARGEST ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY

Ras Al Khaimah – UAE – 26 April 2016: 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 1st May 2016 until 30th 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.

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About Ras Al Khaimah

One of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world, Ras Al Khaimah boasts a rich culture and long-standing history, dating back 7,000 years, showcased by an array of archaeological sites and breathtaking natural vistas, from golden sand beaches, awe-inspiring terracotta dunes and a green belt of date palms to Jebel Jais, the highest mountain in the UAE.

To learn more about Ras Al Khaimah, visit us at:
www.rasalkhaimahtourism.com

www.facebook.com/visitrasalkhaimah

www.youtube.com/visitrasalkhaimah

https://twitter.com/raktourism

About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA)

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) was established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. In order to achieve target growth of one million visitors by the end of 2018, the authority aims to develop the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for its residents.In order to achieve its goals, the Ras Al Khaimah TDA has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the emirate’s tourism and hospitality industry.
For further information, please contact:

Grayling for Ras Al Khaimah TDA
+971 (4) 390 1630
+971 (0) 52 867 2048

Neda Carrillo
Director of Corporate Communications & Public Relations
Ras Al Khamah Tourism Development Authority
mediarelations@raktda.com

About Ctrip

Ctrip is China’s largest travel online agency offering accommodation, flights, trains, packaged holidays and tours, and corporate travel management. Ctrip enables leisure and business travelers to book more than 1,300,000 flight routes and 600,000 hotels in 210 countries. Ctrip’s secure and easy-to-navigate site is available 14 languages and handles bookings for more than 50 million active users per month in China. The site is supported by award-winning 24/7 customer service.

Ctrip.com