Sport: The Ultimate Win-Win For Tourism

lyad Rasbey, Executive Director of Destination Tourism Development MICE at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, explains just how important sport can be in boosting tourism in Ras Al Khaimah and beyond.

The Gulf region has been Tine into the global spotlight like never before thanks to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and 2023 is shaping up to be yet another year of regional sports highlights with upcoming events including Formula 1, worldclass athletics, and international golfing and tennis tournaments. With the region attracting high-profile events, the Middle East now counts as the fastest growing sports tourism destination in the world and has a stake in a global sports tourism market that could be worth 890 billion by 2025, according to the UN’s World Tourism Organisation.

The impact of sports events on tourism is transformational as we saw across the U.A.E. during the World Cup. During the tournament, the number of regional flights soared, hotels were booked to capacity, and demand for transportation, activities, restaurants, and shopping all skyrocketed, with some estimates putting the average spend by travelers in the U.A.E. at 5,000.

In Ras Al Khaimah, we are building on our success as the adventure hub of the Middle East and consolidating our reputation as the fastest growing destination in the region. Indeed, we have already achieved a full return to pre-pandemic visitor numbers, welcoming over one million visitors this year. Now, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority RAKTDA) is focused on tripling these numbers in the coming years, and sports tourism is playing an important role.

Global Sports Profile