Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has announced that testing and inspection company Bureau Veritas has officially declared Ras Al Khaimah as a safe city.
The northernmost emirate in the UAE is the first destination in the Middle East to be awarded the Safeguard Assurance Label, which guarantees heightened safety standards and hygiene protocols.
RAKTDA in partnership with Bureau Veritas, has implemented pioneering health and safety protocols and hygiene measures across all Ras Al Khaimah's hotels to eliminate risk for employees and guests. In addition, the Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre, sprawling over 50,000 sq foot, has also received the certification and the only one in the Middle East to do so.
Additionally, Ras Al Khaimah has become the first Middle Eastern city and first Emirate in UAE to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council?s (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp, an accreditation developed for global travel and tourism industry, to address the challenges presented by COVID-19 and similar outbreaks. Developed in collaboration with WTTC members, leading industry associations and governments, the Safe Travels Stamp aims to facilitate a future of travel which is safe, secure and seamless, and adds an authentic and meaningful experience to the traveller?s journey. The global protocols follow the current guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, says: ?As travel starts to resume, our role as a tourism development authority is to ensure that strict measures are in place, to protect the health and safety of our visitors and provide the peace of mind they need, for a well-deserved holiday. Our goal is for Ras Al Khaimah to set the global benchmark for post-pandemic travel safety, and to set the standards to which all other destinations will aspire. 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. It goes a long way to restore confidence among the tourists and validates the efforts of our hospitality partners, who are focused on delivering the highest global safety standards, as we navigate the new normal in the travel industry.?
Mr Raki 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 that we are aligned with the essential safety protocols of the highest level that can reassure visitors looking forward to visit Ras Al Khaimah next.?
For more information visit https://middle-east.bureauveritas.com and https://visitrasalkhaimah.com/
Image credit: Image credit: gordontour/Flickr
