Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has been certified as a safe destination by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services.

The move comes as the city completes its ‘Safeguard Assurance’ program. 

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.

Adding to the global validation, Ras Al Khaimah is the first Emirate in UAE to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp.

The protocols were developed in collaboration with WTTC members (including RAKTDA), leading industry associations and international organisations 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 Organization (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and will continue to be updated as new information about Covid-19 becomes available.

Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented: “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.”