Local communities must be at heart of tourism strategies, says top industry official

Tourism authorities must uphold their responsibilities to local communities as the sector grows and expands, a top industry official has insisted.

Raki Phillips, CEO of the UAE-based Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said his organization is committed to developing its destinations in a sustainable manner.

His comments came just a few weeks after global data and business intelligence platform Statista forecast the number of international tourist arrivals in the UAE would continuously increase between 2024 and 2029, peaking with 44.66 million arrivals.

Reflecting on the need to maintain robust standards amid this growth, Philips said: “We apply sustainability to everything we do to nurture a tourism industry that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable — supporting quality of life for our citizens and workforce, while also conserving our unique environment.”

He added: “Nature and our wide-open spaces are the calling card of our destination and in order to protect our natural environment and local communities. We are committed to ensuring that there is no over-tourism in Ras Al Khaimah.”

The official further noted that RAKTDA is working with Earthcheck, one of the world’s leading environmental advisories, to implement green practices in its tourism destinations.

“In 2023, the Emirate achieved Silver Certification under EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destinations program. This achievement makes Ras Al Khaimah the first destination in the Middle East to be awarded this certification, and only one of a few globally,” he noted.

According to Phillips, the tourism landscape globally is witnessing a shift, as the “Leave no Trace” policy garners strong acceptance.

The importance of sustainability among travel and hospitality businesses is not a “nice to have” thing as the impacts of climate change negatively impact the sector, he added.

“Their focus is moving simple calls for ‘Leave No Trace’ with every tourism sector stakeholder to embrace a strong environment, social and governance framework,” said Phillips.

He continued: “No longer is it viable that a bland blanket of tourists come into a destination and just leave. That’s now been flipped on its head and tourists are just as responsible as the local community in leaving their environment better than how they found it.”

Reiterating the words of the UN World Tourism Organization, he pointed out that sustainable travel and hospitality is an activity which embodies future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.

He revealed that RAKTDA, in partnership with EarthCheck, has launched its own sustainability program named “Responsible RAK” for tourism businesses. Phillips said 20 hotels, attractions and tour operators have earned Responsible RAK Silver Certification to date.

“With 7,000 keys in the pipeline over the next few years, Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism vision continues to gain momentum as we look forward to welcoming over 3 million visitors annually by 2030,” said Phillips.

He further pointed out that the authority is investing in hotels and is also engaged in offering programs and initiatives for local communities to grow and develop in the tourism sector.

“As we continue to invest in hotel developments to bring jobs to locals and enhance their daily lifestyles, we also aim to promote local communities by fostering programs and initiatives that equip community members with the skills needed to work in the tourism industry and preserve their cultural heritage,” he noted.

The official added that RAKTDA has embraced an inclusive approach to welcome people from diverse backgrounds to visit destinations in the Emirate.

“People with disabilities and special needs spend approximately $8 billion on tourism services annually, and the World Health Organization estimates the number of people with disabilities will double to 2 billion by 2050,” he said.

Phillips further noted: “We have engaged with accessibility experts to map out the consumer journey from the eyes of the traveler with a determined spirit and asked how we can truly embrace this important travel audience.”

Talking about the growth of the tourism sector in the UAE, Phillips, citing the latest data from the Ministry of Economy, revealed that the revenue of hotels in the Emirates surged to 32.2 billion dirhams ($8.77 billion) in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the previous year.

He added that hotels in the UAE hosted more than 20 million guests in the first nine months of 2023, representing a 12 percent increase compared to 2022.

Similarly, occupancy rates among hotels between January and September 2023 hit 75 percent, reflecting a 6 percent growth compared to the same period of 2022.

“These indicators play a crucial role in elevating the tourism sector’s contribution to the UAE’s gross domestic product to 450 billion dirhams by the next decade under the ‘We The UAE 2031’ vision,” added Phillips.

In November 2022 Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum launched UAE National Vision 2031, outlining the country’s path for the next 10 years, focusing on economy, tourism, and society, as well as ecosystem and diplomacy.

Alongside this, UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 aims to raise the sector’s contribution to the GDP to 450 billion dirhams, attract 100 billion dirhams as additional investment and welcome 40 million hotel guests – all in the next eight years.

Phillips added that Ras Al Khaimah welcomed over 1.22 million visitors in 2023, its highest-ever arrivals, which also marked an 8 percent increase compared to 2022.

“The opening of new attractions, significant hospitality development, and playing host to large-scale events were central to this recovery, both in Ras Al Khaimah and in the wider region,” he said.