Fujairah to tap tourism potential

The Indian Ocean and mountains at Al Aqah beach in Fujairah. Randi Sokoloff / The National

FUJAIRAH // More support is needed for tourism in Fujairah as visitors are increasingly choosing to head to other emirates, say hotel managers.

While Fujairah was once the destination of choice for tourists wanting to escape the cities, a flurry of hotel openings in recent years in nearby Ras Al Khaimah has affected visitor numbers.

Patrick Antaki, general manager of Le Meridien hotel in Al Aqah said: “The tourism development is still very, very low [in Fujairah].”

He said Fujairah had the most historical sites in the country, including old forts and mosques, but “nobody knows about it”.

“We still have a lot of work to do and I would like to unleash that potential,” he said.

Mr Antaki, who has been based in Fujairah for 12 years, admits the last two have been especially challenging.

Ras Al Khaimah is only about 45 minutes away from Dubai International Airport, while a trip to Fujairah takes twice as long.

Mr Antaki said the tourism authority in Fujairah was good at attracting visitors from within the UAE, “but they need to develop international tourism”.

Al Aqah has the Indian Ocean on one side and a mountain range on the other, giving it scenery unlike anywhere else in the country. “That is a big draw,” said Mr Antaki.

While he welcomed the “healthy” competition from RAK, he said: “We can’t say it is not affecting Fujairah. It is.

“Fujairah was the first destination outside Dubai in the UAE for all the years I was here, but slowly the UAE started to grow and RAK grew even faster than Fujairah.

“Luckily the flights into Dubai have increased exponentially and we have had a share of the pie.”

He believed that RAK had spent a lot more on marketing itself overseas than Fujairah had. Nevertheless, many visitors were still choosing Fujairah.

“Tour operators committed to Fujairah will also sell Fujairah at the same time as RAK,” he said.

Although he said more charter flights to RAK airport would be a positive step, he would prefer to see Fujairah airport upgraded and expanded.

“A charter flight brings in that breadth of guests, from the budget to luxury traveller,” he said.

Andreas Mueller, general manager of the Cove Rotana resort in RAK, said accessibility was a major factor in RAK’s success.

“Because of the additional hotels, I think Fujairah has lost business to us [RAK]. The travel time is less than Fujairah and it makes an impact.”

In the past 12 months, RAK has increased its hotel room capacity from 3,000 to 5,000, with international brands such as the Rixos and Waldorf Astoria added to its portfolio.

Hossam Kamal, general manager of the Rotana hotel in Al Aqah, agreed that charter flights to RAK would benefit both emirates.

He does, however, believe Fujairah has benefited from RAK’s tourist facility development.

“The marketing [by RAK] would work for both destinations,” he said. “RAK’s tourism authority has become very active and the overflow from here goes to Al Aqah. The people who want to be close to Dubai will go to RAK, but we have a different clientele.”

Janet Fitzner, general manager of the Radisson Blu Al Aqah, said all emirates should work together to boost overall visitor numbers to the country.

“The marketing for RAK, for example, is helping us and helps every destination in the UAE. RAK is helping to show there’s more to the UAE than Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

With new hotels planned for Al Aqah, she said the destination had to ensure demand could meet supply.

“It is about awareness, good PR and having the infrastructure in place,” she said.