Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) reinforces its leadership team with the appointment of Brent Anderson as Chief Commercial Officer and Emil Petrov as Vice President of Strategy and Insights

The respective appointments mark a significant step in the Authority’s ongoing efforts to position Ras Al Khaimah as one of the region’s leading tourism destinations, further accelerating its growth as the ‘Destination of the Future.’

Brent Anderson joins RAKTDA to drive the emirate’s commercial tourism strategy. With three decades of experience in strategic tourism marketing, partnership development, and stakeholder engagement at Tourism Australia, Anderson brings invaluable expertise to help RAKTDA tap into new source markets and achieve sustained visitor growth. As the Regional General Manager for South & South-East Asia (SSEA), he successfully led the region to become the fastest growing and second largest source of visitors for Australia. Post-pandemic, SSEA became the fastest recovering region for Australia supporting the recovery of Australia’s tourism industry.

In his new role, Anderson leads RAKTDA’s Commercial Tourism Destination teams, overseeing Destination Tourism Development, Marketing and Communications, and Community Outreach & Events. Anderson is responsible for the Emirate’s commercial tourism strategy, focusing on expanding global partnerships, enhancing aviation connectivity, and driving marketing awareness, communications, and events through strategic campaigns and global engagement.

Emil Petrov joins RAKTDA as Vice President of Strategy and Insights, bringing more than 15 years of strategic leadership experience across the tourism and telecommunications sectors. At RAKTDA, he is responsible for shaping Ras Al Khaimah’s long-term tourism vision, aligning stakeholders and strengthening the emirate’s data and insights capabilities to solidify its reputation as one of the region’s fastest-growing destinations.

Prior to joining RAKTDA, Petrov served as Head of Strategy and Strategic Projects at Tourism New Zealand, where he led the development of the “Enrich 2025” strategy, positioning the country for sustainable tourism growth. His strategic foresight contributed to a 50% increase in tourism export earnings, enhancing New Zealand’s global reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism.

“The addition of Brent and Emil to our executive team bolsters our strategy of attracting best-in-class talent to drive our tourism agenda forward,” said Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “As Ras Al Khaimah develops, they will be charged with ensuring that liveability and sustainable tourism growth go hand in hand. Their leadership will be crucial in driving our industry forward and increasing tourism’s GDP contribution to one-third by 2030.”   

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