The boss of MSC Cruises has urged business leaders to work with public authorities to introduce harmonised health protocols with rapid Covid-19 testing to accelerate the sector’s recovery.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the line which resumed limited sailings from Italy in August, made his call to tourism ministers from the G20 group of nations and senior travel and tourism company executive from across the world.
He outlined nine health and safety protocols introduced by the company to enable the resumption of sailings in the Mediterranean.
Vago revealed that 100 passengers had been denied boarding after testing positive for the virus.
Speaking to the virtual event run to find new ways to support the recovery of travel and tourism, Vago said the protocols were approved by all relevant health authorities in the countries where cruises have resumed.
The nine key pillars cover:
1. Testing of guests
2. Testing of crew
3. Shore excursions (as bubbles)
4. Ventilation with HVAC
5. Contingency response
6. Isolation space on board and tracking and tracing
7. Masks
8. Physical distancing
9. Covid-19 prevalence monitoring
“The core element of the protocol is our universal testing of all guests and crew before embarkation to create a sterile and safe bubble, which protects them throughout their time with us,” Vago said.
“We are now in the midst of our eighth sailing with a second vessel due to restart later this month with a longer itinerary, and we have safely carried 16,000 guests.
“Throughout, we have been rigorous in the implementation of our protocol and have had to deny embarkation to well over 100 guests for testing positive, travelling with someone who tested positive, not having the correct medical paperwork or for infractions of our protocol.”
He added: “Our data shows that in a pandemic where up to 80% of those infected in the current outbreak are mild or asymptomatic according to the latest WHO data, there can be no doubt that testing is the key.
“My message to you all participating today is that thanks to our protocol and other similar ones, cruise ships could be considered possibly amongst the safest holidays anywhere in the world, and there is no reason why other forms of travel and holiday cannot be as safe.
“I hope that the data we have accrued and the harmonisation of protocols across the entire transport, hospitality and tourism industry can be the way forward to work with authorities around the world as testing becomes more available.”
The meeting also heard from the World Travel & Tourism Council that around 100 million jobs could be saved through strong international collaboration, eliminating travel barriers and an international testing protocol at departure.
WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: “This historic meeting provided the best platform to establish public and private collaboration which will lead to rebuilding a sector which has been devastated by the pandemic.
“The nature of this meeting cannot be underestimated; it is the first time so many travel and tourism CEOs and leaders have been invited to sit in the same forum as G20 tourism ministers to establish a tangible plan to save the travel and tourism sector.
“This plan will have far reaching consequences; it will bring real and genuine benefits to the industry as a whole – from aviation to tour operators, taxis to hotels and beyond.”