RAS AL KHAIMAH HARNESSES THE POWER OF SHORT-FORM VIDEO IN NEW CREATIVE CAMPAIGN

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 14 September 2023:  Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) in partnership with award-winning creative agency, Beautiful Destinations, harnesses the power of short-form video in a new landmark creative video campaign.

As a destination of the future, RAKTDA takes a fresh approach to the traditional media campaign with an experiential destination itinerary through short form video. Working with one of the world’s largest and most influential online travel communities of over 50 million followers on social media, Beautiful Destinations has masterminded some of the world’s most high profile and impactful video-led tourism campaigns for destination marketing organisations (DMOs) worldwide. In this latest partnership, 30 pieces of stunning vertical short-form video content have been created in engaging cinematic style, highlighting Ras Al Khaimah’s diverse experiences, to reach travel audiences through ‘real’, snackable content, inspiring travellers as they begin their research, which is increasingly starting – and staying – on social media.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “We try to stay on the cusp of the traveler journey and tap into the visceral nature of tourism. By harnessing the power of short form video with Beautiful Destinations, we effectively trigger inspiration and emotion far quicker and more impactfully than other, more traditional, marketing tools. We welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors in first six months in 2023 – a 14.8% increase from the same time last year, so now is the perfect time to accelerate our destination marketing offering with the global trailblazers in travel content creation.”

Jeremy Jauncey, Founder and CEO of Beautiful Destinations said: “Ras Al Khaimah is a case study on why visual storytelling is so impactful for destination marketing. Through this partnership with RAKTDA, we succinctly captured the sheer breadth of the emirate, through stunning landscapes, nature and experiences creating the kind of content that consumers today want to see. Beautiful Destinations is thrilled to be the partner for this campaign, and I am looking forward to seeing the results of the powerful short-form content we have created together.”

Short-form video is increasingly becoming the most influential form of travel media– not only for Gen Z but also older generations with as much as 40% of over 30s looking to TikTok first for travel inspiration. According to research 87% of millennials are inspired by social media when booking travel and 97% post about trips daily, making it a key tool for travel research and influencing decision-making. Short form video has more virality, with entertaining and participatory content performing the best, and, vitally, delivering the highest return on investment. Due to this seismic shift in how consumers are conducting research online, some of the world’s biggest brands – including the likes of Google – are moving to adapt to this growing trend making online search a more visual and engaging experience with vertical video platforms.

This always-on campaign in partnership with Beautiful Destinations is live across RAKTDA’s leading markets across three phases with different themes: Mountain Adventures, What to do in RAK and Desert Beyond the Dunes (November 2023). The campaign aims to drive brand affinity and consideration in key markets, as well as increase awareness in new territories through ‘showing’, rather than ‘telling’ potential visitors what awaits them in Ras Al Khaimah.

Known as the Nature Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah is a one-stop destination for fun, family, nature, adventure, with a wealth of captivating attractions to experience and explore, which come to life in this latest campaign. Moreover, it cements Ras Al Khaimah as a regional leader in responsible, sustainable tourism, focusing on the environment, culture, conservation and liveability.

Featured in Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2022 and CNN Travel’s Best Destinations to Visit in 2023, 2022 was a pivotal year for Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism. The Emirate attracted 1.13 million annual visitors – the highest-ever number of arrivals superseding pre-pandemic levels. Infrastructure-wise, it saw a 17% annual growth in hotel supply to over 8,000 keys. Taking the Emirate a step closer to its goal of securing over three million annual visitors by 2030, the momentum has continued this year, with annual visitor numbers expected to continue to grow as the Emirate remains the region’s fastest growing destination.

To find out more about Ras Al Khaimah’s Beautiful Destinations campaign, check out YouTube and Instagram and Tiktok.