RAK tokenises travel in next-gen...

UAE's Ras Al Khaimah adopts blockchain technology to reward visitors

The UAE's Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) will become the world's first destination to launch blockchain-powered travel rewards.

In collaboration with technology innovator Open World, RAKTDA will introduce a rewards system using tokenisation, creating digital rewards and personalised experiences for tech-savvy travellers.

Describing the initiative as a "bold leap into the future of travel", Raki Phillips, CEO of RAKTDA said the benefits for visitors to the UAE's northernmost emirate would include curated tourism experiences and personalised special offers, as well as secure digital payments.

“As the first destination to develop a tokenised rewards programme of this kind, we are not only drawing a new mega-audience to Ras Al Khaimah but also reinforcing our position as a destination of the future, one that embraces innovation, inclusivity and immersive travel," added Phillips.

RAKTDA believes it is tapping into a lucrative market aimed at younger travellers in the emirate's key source markets that includes the US, UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Tourism in RAK is already booming. Around a 90-minute drive from Dubai, the emirate welcomed a record 1.28 million overnight arrivals in 2024, climbing 5% from 2023.

The UAE’s first gaming resort and the Gulf’s first legal casino, Wynn Al Marjan Island, is slated to open in Ras Al Khaimah in 2027, and that is having a significant impact on the hospitality landscape.

Hotel inventory in Ras Al Khaimah is expected to more than double by 2027, according to Stirling Hospitality Advisors, with 7,537 rooms being added to the existing 7,144, and the emirate will welcome more than 15 international hotel operators, with new entrants including Wynn, Millennium, Radisson Red, Ushuaïa and Rove, which recently opened a 441-key beachfront property on Al Marjan Island.

An increasing number of developments are being unveiled in RAK, with the latest, a multi-billion-dirham waterfront destination on Al Marjan Island that will include a luxury 250-key Fairmont hotel.

For more information, visit www.visitrasalkhaimah.com

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