Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and in presence of high officials from UAE's tourism-based entities, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has actually revealed at Four Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi, a brand-new digital system that rates the ICT quality in tourist locations (TASNEEF) in the UAE. The effort intends to provide visitors with sufficient details regarding the quality of ICT services in tourist locations by classifying the ICT facilities in hotels, shopping mall and restaurants, among others, that are supplied to customers to enhance visitors' experience.

TASNEEF is among TRA's contributions in leading the nation to become a worldwide center for tourism and service and assist the nation attain the UAE Vision 2021 by encouraging competitors amongst traveler centers in offering high quality digital smart services and satisfy customers experience. It also aims to push digital innovation and smart services in the tourism sector in time for visitors at the Expo 2020, in addition to ensure that sights and tourist attractions throughout the country are technologically-equipped in their service offerings to help attain the country's ambition to be the most competitive nation in the world in terms of smart services throughout tourist destinations in the nation.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said: Advancing the tourism sectors capability to provide services using smart technologies will help boost the UAEs transition to mGovernment. It will help the TRAs goal to bring a step closer the countrys vision of an electronic lifestyle, following the UAE Vision 2021 of providing a socially and culturally rich environment, managed through distinctive government services. Apart from efficient infrastructure systems to meet individual needs, it will also promote the UAE as a globally competitive nation.

The initiative also seeks to rate the quality of services in the tourism and hospitality sector and recognize the best service providers in the country to enable customers have the highest level of digital hosting experience and allow them to decide and choose accordingly the most suitable places to stay in the UAE H.E. Al Mansoori explained.

The TRA has identified the criteria and technical standards to assess hospitality firms according to their corresponding level of services, the response rate of the technical support team, accessibility, affordability, availability and quality of innovative ICT services.

The evaluation is based on meeting a set of standards and attain the highest scores in ICT services and ensure excellence in the sector and will include all tourist facilities, based on their tourism classification.