Destinations including Turkey, Jamaica, Mauritius and Portugal have adopted the WTTC’s recently-announced Safe Travels protocols to demonstrate their readiness to welcome visitors.
The WTTC designed the Safe Travels stamp to enable travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which adopted its standardised health and hygiene protocols.
The protocols were based on guidelines from the World Health Organisation and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and have been endorsed by the UNWTO.
Since their launch last week, they have been adopted by Turkey, Bulgaria, Jamaica, Mauritius, Ontario, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and the Mexican destinations of Baja California Sur and Yucatan, in addition to Barcelona, Cancun, Madrid and Seville.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC chief executive, said: “The number of global destinations adopting our private sector protocols is growing at a rapid pace and it’s hugely gratifying and shows the success and importance of the WTTC Safe Travels stamp.
“The stamp is vital to re-establish worldwide consumer confidence in travel and tourism and so travellers can be sure that enhanced standards of hygiene are in place for them to be able to travel safely.”
She added: “As WTTC health and hygiene protocols affecting hotels, restaurants, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants, outdoor shopping and transportation are implemented, so the list of destinations recognising the new stamp also continues to grow.
“We thank these destination countries and cities for stepping forward to help ensure the speedy recovery of the travel and tourism sector and look forward to welcoming more destinations in the days and weeks ahead as our desire to travel continues to revive.”
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s minister of culture & tourism, said: “Turkey has been a role model for the world during Covid-19 with its well-established health system and treatment methods. We have also pioneered setting the direction for safe tourism with a certification program for normalisation of tourism and we are now glad to see WTTC bringing the efforts to a global level.’’