Ras Al Khaimah, FTI Group to strengthen air connectivity between Germany and the Emirate

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and the FTI Group have partnered to launch twice-weekly flights from Munich, Germany to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in 4Q2023.

Reinforcing RAKTDA’s strategy to boost inbound tourism by enhancing global air connectivity to the Emirate, this partnership coincides with the signing of an agreement between RAKTDA and Qatar Airways that will see the Qatari flag carrier launch direct daily flights to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, commencing November 1.

From left: RAKTDA’s Raki Phillips and FTI Group’s Fabio Prestijacopo

“This agreement with the FTI GROUP marks a major milestone in Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism development strategy, as we look to drive inbound traffic from Germany, which counts among our fastest-growing visitor source markets,” said Raki Phillips, CEO, RAKTDA.

A recent report published by GlobalData revealed Germany ranks among the global tourism industry’s most important outbound source markets and is projected to account for almost 118 million travellers annually by 2024.

“In 2022, we’ve experienced 81 per cent growth in German visitors to Ras Al Khaimah compared to the previous year, and the addition of twice-weekly direct flights from Munich should see this number grow substantially,” added Phillips.

The FTI Group is a major player in Germany’s tourism sector, accounting for a 15 per cent share of the market and US$4 billion turnover in FY2021/22. It has agreements with more than 10,000 partner travel agencies in Germany, making it an important strategic partner in support of RAKTDA’s visitor growth targets.

FTI Group’s CEO, Ralph Schiller, said: “With this long-term partnership, we are contributing to Ras Al Khaimah’s growth story. We look forward to the great future that lies ahead of Ras Al Khaimah and are excited to be a part of it.”

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