The Red Sea has become the world’s first destination to achieve a destination-wide verification from Forbes Travel Guide (FTG), marking a historic milestone in the global tourism sector.
The Red Sea earned its accreditation from Forbes Travel Guide after a year of rigorous evaluations and a strategic collaboration to elevate service standards across five key guest journey touchpoints, which include reservations, land, marine and air transport, and on-ground experiences.
The Red Sea welcomed its first guests in 2023 and now features nine open hotels, alongside Thuwal Private Retreat off the coast of Jeddah. Red Sea International Airport (RSI) serves as the gateway, operating regular domestic and international flights from Riyadh, Dubai, Doha and Milan.
To deliver consistent excellence, Red Sea Global introduced 182 precise service standards across eight core categories, including personalized service, efficiency, luxury, and professionalism, embedded through structured training, communication, and continuous review across the entire destination.
Red Sea resorts at FTG Star Awards
Three destination’s first resorts secured places on Forbes Travel Guide’s prestigious Star Awards list:
Six Senses Southern Dunes
The St. Regis Red Sea Resort
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
John Pagano CEO – Red Sea Global
“At Red Sea Global, we have always believed that true luxury is defined not only by the beauty of a place, but by how guests feel throughout their entire journey. Receiving Forbes Travel Guide’s accreditation at a destination level is a powerful testament to the culture of exceptional service we have embedded across our teams and operators at every guest touchpoint. This is not merely a hotel standard, but a fully integrated destination-wide system.”
Forbes Travel Guide CEO Hermann Elger, commented that, “We congratulate Red Sea Global and the team on earning the world’s first accreditation of its kind as a Verified Destination. This achievement marks a significant moment for the hospitality industry. Delivering and sustaining service excellence at a destination scale requires deep commitment across every stage of the guest experience, from booking to farewell. It has successfully established a new international benchmark for tourism destinations.”
Forbes Travel Guide ratings are known for their objectivity and independence, with anonymous inspectors posing as guests to evaluate hundreds of exacting standards focused on service excellence and facility quality. Assessments also extend to intangible elements that shape memorable stays, such as a property’s ability to enhance well-being and the unique sense of place created by design and location.
