RAK becomes first city in world to be certified as a safe destination

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) on Tuesday confirmed that the city has been certified as a safe destination by Bureau Veritas, the global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, as it completes its ‘Safeguard Assurance’ programme.

It is first city in the world to receive both the Bureau Veritas Safeguard Assurance Label and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp which recognize the heightened safety standards, training and hygiene protocols in place across the Emirate.

Through a strategic partnership with Bureau Veritas, the Authority has led the way in implementing stringent health, safety and hygiene measures across all Ras Al Khaimah hotels to mitigate any possible risks for employees and guests and providing complete confidence in the destination. Through an ongoing series of independent audits of all its hotels in the Emirate, the partnership was designed to further validate the measures and processes already in place, and takes RAKTDA’s ‘Stay Safe’ Hotel Certification programme to the next level. In addition, the close to 50,000 sqft Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference centre is following the detailed protocols developed by Bureau Veritas’ global health, safety and hygiene specialists and will become the first certified MICE (meeting, incentive, convention & event) facility in the region.

Adding to the global validation, Ras Al Khaimah is the first Emirate in UAE to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp, the world’s first ever global safety and hygiene stamp for the travel and tourism industry, designed specifically to address COVID-19 and similar outbreaks. The protocols were developed in collaboration with WTTC members (including RAKTDA), leading industry associations and international organizations and covers operational and staff preparedness, ensuring a safe experience, re-building trust and confidence and implementing enabling policies. They also follow the current guidelines of the World Health organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will continue to be updated as new information about COVID-19 becomes available.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, comments, “As travel starts to resume, our role as a tourism development authority is to ensure that robust measures are in place to protect the health and safety of our visitors and provide the peace of mind they need for a truly well-deserved holiday.

We are immensely proud to be the first destination in the world to be certified as safe by Bureau Veritas and receive the WTTC safe travels stamp and believe it will go a long way to restore confidence and bring tourists back to Ras Al Khaimah. It also validates the huge efforts of our hospitality partners who are focused on delivering the highest global safety standards, today and every day, as we navigate this new normal for the industry.”

He added: “WTTC is a very important partner for RAKTDA and one we wholeheartedly support in its efforts to restart and speed up the recovery of the sector in the wake of COVID-19. The WTTC Safe Travels Stamp is an important vehicle to demonstrate alignment with essential safety protocols of the highest level and we are delighted that we can reassure visitors that Ras Al Khaimah meets these global standards.”