
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) in the UAE has ramped up its efforts to ensure the safety of hospitality sector employees amid Covid-19 crisis.
The authority has entered into a collaboration with the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and Ras Al Khaimah Preventive Medicine Department (PMD) to support an ongoing programme that conducts free Covid-19 PCR testing for the workers associated with the hotel industry.
The move comes when the emirate has eased several restrictions on tourism leading to an increase in the number of visitors, reported Trade Arabia.
RAKTDA CEO Raki Phillips was quoted by the publication as saying: “Our industry has been resilient in the face of challenging times, and we have unveiled a series of strategies, from the Tourism Support Initiatives to earning recognition as the first safe city worldwide and the first safe Emirate to be certified by Bureau Veritas and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), respectively.
“These measures ensure that our sector partners can continue to operate successfully as we enter the ‘new normal’.
“Ongoing testing for hospitality staff is an important step in our efforts to reaffirm to our visitors that the Emirate has taken and continues to take extensive measures to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of guests and residents.”

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By GlobalDataNotably, RAKTDA has already launched ‘Stay Safe’ Hotel Certification for the hotels that follow best practices to minimise Covid-19 contagion risks.
The authority has also been monitoring regular Covid-19 assessment of the staff at the hotels.