Ras Al Khaimah is a destination that’s on a quest to become a regional leader in sustainable tourism by 2025
Your chosen venue or destination has a huge impact on the success of your incentive experience and whilst luxury experiences still play a key role in motivating and retaining staff, they need to be balanced with more sustainable options.
As the meetings and events industry looks to reshape how we travel in the years ahead, Ras Al Khaimah has a vision of becoming the Middle East’s most sustainable destination by 2025, with the goal of attracting over 3 million visitors annually by 2030. What’s its strategy? “Balanced Tourism”; created in partnership with EarthCheck, it doesn’t just focus on the environment but also encompasses cultural preservation, social and economic sustainability.
Hosting COP28 in Dubai should help drive forward sustainable hospitality across the UAE but Ras Al Khaimah has the advantage of being a developing destination which provides the opportunity to do things differently, and rather than create attractions designed to drive mass footfall, the projects they are focusing on will have a strong sustainable focus. There is also a measured approach to development, based on opening two hotels a year that follow green building codes that prioritise sustainable standards.
Ras Al Khaimah is also home to four cultural and heritage sites that are on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List; preserving and restoring these treasures is a key part of their sustainable strategy.
Incentive Trip Experiences
Bear Grylls Explorer Camp
The Bear Grylls Explorers Camp on Jebel Jais mountain will put your team through their paces on a 24-hour survival course. Learn practical life-saving skills, attitudes such as resourcefulness and calmness under pressure, whilst being pushed further than ever before.
Taking flight on the world’s longest zip line
Take one of the country’s most scenic drives up Jebel Jais and launch yourself off the Jebel Jais Flight, the world’s longest zipline, with a 2.8-km journey over the gaping chasm below. Afterwards, bring the team together for a slower appreciation of the views at the UAE’s highest restaurant, located 1484 meters above sea levels.
Alternatively take a 2km hike to Camp 1770 to experience 190 panoramic views and watch the sunset in the Arabian sea whilst a local mountain guide prepares dinner.
Swimming with camels on the beach
Join young race camels for a few hours of aquatic training at the beach, paddling alongside the camels as they swim ahead. A unique experience that your team will remember long after the incentive trip has finished.
Diving for Pearls
Down on the coast, take a boat to Suwaidi Pearls, where a program is underway to restore the village by using sustainable materials. Curated tours provide an insight on the lives of the pearl divers that underpin UAE’s history and you’ll be able to discover who in your team has the lucky touch as they dive to select an oyster and see if there’s a pearl inside—there’s a 60 percent chance of finding a cultured pearl.
Sightseeing
The only hill fort remaining in the UAE, Dhayah Fort dates back to the Late Bronze Age and boasts spectacular views from the mountains, across palm trees and down to the sea. Continue on to visit Mohammed Bin Salim Mosque and RAK National Museum before driving on to look for souvenirs of your incentive trip at the Old Souk.
Incentive Trip Venues
Key places to stay include Waldorf Astoria which is actually an old palace (very luxurious) and with pristine views of the Arabian shoreline as well as Intercontinental Mina Al Arab, stretching across two peninsulas and a private beach, which works well for groups.
Wellbeing at the heart of it
For those who want to give their group a chance to unwind, Ritz Carlton Al Wadi, is a hotel that’s inspired by nature, culture, and reconnection with the mind. At 101 villa resort, guests will have the change to experience authentic desert living in the lap of luxury. Surrounded by nature, there is every opportunity to see the rare oryx, bombastic camels, pretty desert foxes, and, if you are fortunate, the painfully shy desert cat. The unspoilt environment gives you the rare opportunity of experiencing the wilds of the desert and its undulating dunes. In addition to the activities in the Nature Reserve, the hotel offers a unique spa experience, The Rainforest, which is a unique blend of European hydrothermal culture and Middle Eastern bathing rituals.
With an expressive range of venues and experiences, combined with its leading approach to sustainability, Ras Al Khaimah is fast becoming a leading destination for Incentive Trips, Meetings & Conferences and Events in the region.
For more information about hosting your event at this unforgettable destination, get in touch with the team.
TEL : 020 7610 2808 – EMAIL : info@evolve-events.com