Reassuring safety of the travellers
“They also have a very strong aviation sector and world-class infrastructure. The biggest plus they have is the ability of destinations to work with the airlines. In order
to get the tourists in you need an airline and in the Middle East region this is an advantage. They have a very cohesive relationship which will come in stronger, strategically located between Europe and Asia with access, but the most important thing is health and safety protocols at this point of time, and they need to make sure they are in place. If you look at the global experiences the countries that had
the first wave of infections, such as Spain and Italy, have now restarted tourism. It is possible to restart your tourism with health and hygiene protocols in place. Another key advantage the Middle East has is that they have a lot of global players which are rated very highly, which goes a long way in reassuring travellers, because it is not enough to kill the virus but also to kill the panic or anxiety of the
RAK, first city to be certified as a ‘safe’ destination
Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “Ras Al Khaimah is known for its natural beauty, sprawling hotels, mountains. For us, it was very good to focus on safety and security to welcome guests back primarily from the domestic markets but now we are starting to see the international travellers coming back and that excites us. Just last week our hotel occupancy was 60 per cent in the emirate and some of the properties were sold out. The levels of testing are phenomenal in the UAE and we are leading in the world. The safety and security measures put in place have made us a welcoming destination and I think it all comes from the leadership to drive us in order to have a wonderful offering that is not only exciting to tourists but also safe and secure. I also have to commend the global organisations like the UNWTO and WTTC that have worked very closely with us in coming up with global initiatives that help us drive some of our friends and colleagues around the world. I look forward to a good recovery.”
“It is important for us to know what the consumer sentiment is, the top priority we had in Ras Al Khaimah was safety and security of our colleagues as well as our guests so we put some guidelines together to ensure that we are prepared for the destination during the recovery and as we opened up. One of the things we did was we funded COVID testing for every single employee who works in the hospitality sector especially at our hotels and we put some guidelines together for safety and security but then apart from that what we did is, Ras Al Khaimah was confirmed as the first city and emirate in the world to receive both the prestigious safeguard label from Bureau Veritas and World Travel and Tourism Council Safe Travels stamp. Our international exhibition and conference centre is also the first M!CE facility in the Middle East to be Bureau Veritas certified so that means that we have got all measures and initiatives in place to ensure safe tourism options. When it comes to M!CE, Ras Al Khaimah is very active in the M!CE community; it is one of our key pillars and Indian weddings is a big attraction.”
Travellers look for memorable experiences
“Ras Al Khaimah is a sun and sand, tree and culture and adventure side of the business with a mountain experience. I think consumers will continue to look for experiences that engage them and give them longlasting memories. Destinations that have a myriad of offerings such as culture, adventure etc. will have a better chance of attracting travellers as they value not only the experience but also the safety aspect. We have made sure that our hotels and attractions are all safe by sanitising everywhere from our zipline, Al Suwaidi Pearl farm, hotels and every area is sanitised and kept safe,” stated Phillips. In terms of M!CE, he said that they have created programmes to attract the M!CE bookers where you can get credit against your booking, then there is the new shortcation campaign and the webinar seminars with zoom coffee hours.
Tourism is a resilient industry
Phillips reiterated that the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has taken all necessary actions not only to provide safety measures and protocols but has also waived off some of the charges and fees for the industry. It is important that the industry bounces back; the stimulus packages by the federal government provide many incentives to the investors. He further pointed out that the United Arab Emirates is just four hours away from most countries in the world and has some of the best in terms of tourism products on offer, which will bring back the tourists very soon. He concluded that Ras Al Khaimah has been able to maintain the highest RevPAR.
RAKTDA has also waived off some of the charges and fees for the tourism industry. It is important that the industry bounces back; the stimulus packages by the federal government provide many incentives to the investors