Three resorts at The Red Sea also feature in this year’s Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards
Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, has announced that The Red Sea has become the first destination in the world to achieve a destination-wide verification from Forbes Travel Guide (FTG).
The unprecedented achievement comes following a year of continual testing and improvement of hospitality standards at The Red Sea. This included partnering with FTG to define service standards across five touch points – booking, land transfer, marine transfer, air transfer, and experiences – and conduct in-depth training for frontline staff and leadership. Following a series of mystery shopping audits conducted by FTG, The Red Sea successfully became a Verified Destination.
“At Red Sea Global, we have always believed that luxury is not defined by a single place, but by how a guest feels throughout their entire journey. Achieving Forbes Travel Guide verification at a destination scale is a powerful validation of the service culture we have built across teams, operators, and every touchpoint our guests encounter. This is not a hotel standard. This is a destination standard, and we are proud for The Red Sea to be the first in the world to achieve it,” - John Pagano, Group CEO, Red Sea Global.
Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, said: “Congratulations to Red Sea Global and The Red Sea team on achieving the world’s first Forbes Travel Guide Verified Destination accolade – an extraordinary milestone for hospitality. Delivering and sustaining service excellence throughout a destination requires unwavering commitment at every touchpoint – from booking to the final farewell. The Red Sea has set a new benchmark for destinations globally.”
Activating service excellence at scale
In total RSG defined 182 service standards, which were organized into eight categories of excellence: personalized service, courtesy, efficiency, cleanliness, luxury, comfort, technical skill and staff appearance. These standards were translated into daily practices through an organization-wide program of training, communication, recognition and auditing with the goal to ensure consistency from first interaction to final farewell.
By applying global service standards across an entire destination, RSG has set a new international benchmark for how hospitality is delivered at scale, where excellence is felt not only within resorts, but across every movement through the destination.
Activating service excellence at scale
The destination verification follows news that three resorts at The Red Sea feature in this year’s Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards. Six Senses Southern Dunes, St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, all earned inaugural ratings in this year’s prestigious list.
FTG’s ratings are objective, independent and data-driven. Inspectors pose as everyday guests and test hundreds of exacting standards that emphasize exceptional service, as well as the quality and condition of the facilities. Inspectors also assess the intangibles behind a truly remarkable guest experience: whether a property allows you to continue a health-conscious lifestyle and enhance your well-being; whether the location, design or other elements conjured a strong sense of place; and whether all that added up to a stay that was unforgettable.
The Red Sea welcomed its first guests in 2023 and now has nine hotels open, plus Thuwal Private Retreat off the coast of Jeddah. Red Sea International Airport (RSI) is the gateway to the destination and is receiving a regular schedule of domestic and international flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Doha, and Milan.
