Category: Latest Travel News

Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles, December 30, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / End of year message from Alain St.Ange, former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine of the Seychelles – “Tourism needs more than an IMF-led program; it necessitates a larger, more specific group of multinational stakeholders, such as the UNWTO, to join in the recovery.”

The tourism and travel industries remain a critically important part of the world’s economy. They provide jobs for nearly 300 million people, support countless families, and account for more than 10 percent of global GDP. Following the devastating effects of COVID-19 upon these industries, particularly for small island states that are chiefly dependent upon tourism, many are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

The high risks and vulnerabilities of countries that are over-dependent upon a particular sector or industry for wealth creation cannot be understated. However, the resilience of any economy that embraces sustainable practices, and puts people at the centre of all their developmental efforts, shall place vulnerable countries in a much better position to contain a pandemic such as Covid-19, and bounce back.

This has been the case for Seychelles following the 2008 financial and economic crisis. However, with the recent confirmed community transmission of COVID-19 in Seychelles, where tourism is the pillar of the local economy, and the health care system ill- equipped to effectively deal with a local outbreak, the re-building and strengthening of the economy will require more than an IMF-led program; it warrants a relevant group of multinational stakeholders, such as the UNWTO, to join in the recovery efforts and re-establishment of the travel and tourism businesses to get back on their feet.

It is indeed a time for UNWTO member states to make the most of their membership, and to directly benefit from the Organization, during this critical period. Covid-19 has emphasized the dire need for tourism-reliant Nations to intensify the coordination of different sectors for more effective results. The silo mentality cannot continue if we are to emerge victorious for our travel and tourism industries.

Going forward, policies that build and promote resilience and sustainable development practices must be spearheaded. As we bid farewell to 2020 and welcome in 2021, tourism destinations should embrace the need for putting development and tourism in the same basket to relaunch economic growth and bring needed employment opportunities for the people. Development is key for economic growth and tourism is the vehicle that gets it moving. The ‘new normal’ should deter any attempt to try to rehash what was in place pre-Covid19. The drying up of tourism brought with it the collapse of the aviation world as never experienced before.

Tourism needs experienced tourism leaders to lead this vital industry now more than ever before.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous new year.

Macao, Macao SAR, December 30, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / As the pandemic situation basically stabilized in the Mainland and Macao, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has been actively promoting Macao as a safe and quality destination in accord with the reinstatement of travel permit issuance for Mainland residents. Boosted further by the charm of the festive season, average daily visitor arrivals to Macao exceeded 24,000 around Christmas between 23 and 27 December, while the average occupancy rate of local hotels neared 70%.

Average daily visitor arrivals increased 30% from October

Macao recorded an average daily volume of 24,503 visitor arrivals from 23 to 27 December, with an average of 22,826 Mainland visitors per day. The average daily volumes of visitor arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan region and international markets were 1,481, 192 and 3 respectively. Throughout the Christmas holiday period (23 – 27 December), average daily visitor arrivals surged by 20.2% compared with the average daily volume of visitors (20,385) between 1 and 22 December, and rose further by 30.5% compared with the average daily volume of visitors (18,774) in October 2020.

On Christmas, 25 December, visitor arrivals hit 27,755, the second highest daily record over the last ten months in the wake of the pandemic. The top daily record of visitor arrivals was registered on 20 November, the race practice day of Macau Grand Prix.

Some hotels saw over 70% average occupancy rate

Figures provided by industry operators revealed that local hotel establishments (hotels and guest houses) saw an average occupancy rate of 69.4% between 23 and 27 December. The occupancy rates of 3-Star to 5-Star hotels even hit or surpassed 70%.

The average room rate of hotel establishments (hotels and guest houses) in Macao was about 970.3 patacas between 23 and 27 December. The average room rates of 5-Star and 4-Star hotels were around 1,226.1 patacas and 624.1 patacas respectively. The average room rates of 3-Star and 2-Star hotels were around 605.5 patacas and 234 patacas respectively. The average room rate of guest houses was around 184.6 patacas. The average room rate of all hotel establishments declined by 7.4% compared with that in October, which included the Golden Week.

Ongoing promotion to draw visitors to Macao during festive holidays

Throughout this year, the Macao SAR Government has partnered with Tencent, Alibaba, Trip.com, UnionPay International and Air Macau to promote special offers and travel information, with the aim to attract visitors to Macao, stimulate increase in tourism expenditure and extend visitors’ length of stay, in turn spurring various industries to move forward and revive the economy.

Following the resumption of travel permit issuance for Mainland residents to Macao, MGTO has continuously stepped up promotional efforts on social media including Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Wechat, Mafengwo and so forth, with KOLs conducting live streams. This year, the Office also launched its official accounts on Xiaohongshu and Douyin to engage more Mainland residents on social media platforms with wide popularity in the country. Travel connoisseurs were invited to the city to help promote Macao as a safe and quality destination, whereas discounted travel packages and products were launched for travel to Macao through collaboration with different online travel agencies (OTA).

To further raise the destination profile, MGTO has been pushing forward a diverse range of promotional initiatives including Beijing Macao Week, Tour Macao Carnival and “Macao Ready Go!” online platform. In addition, 60 short videos about travel to Macao were filmed to highlight Macao’s image as a safe and quality destination. The promotional initiatives aim to bolster travelers’ confidence and strive for more visitations from the Mainland to Macao during festive holidays, in turn stimulating tourism recovery.

Moreover, MGTO has leveraged different channels to inform visitors various information about the pandemic situation and prevention, such as displaying “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao” on TV screens at the Gongbei Port immigration hall, posting pandemic prevention guidelines on MGTO’s website, publicizing information on pandemic prevention at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters at different ports of entry, calling for attention on pandemic prevention on MGTO’s Wechat and Weibo accounts, producing the graphic abstract of “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao” in addition to distributing leaflets at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters. In addition, hotel establishments and industry organizations continue to assist in disseminating pandemic prevention information to visitors. In accord with the latest arrangement for hotel venues for medical observation in Macao, related pamphlets have been produced for dissemination on the shuttle bus across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and on airlines flying into Macao, as well as for posting on MGTO’s website, so that visitors and residents can promptly obtain relevant information in hand.

Madrid, Spain, December 29, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / All five global regions are represented as the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition reaches its final stages. The competition was launched to identify innovators whose ideas can advance tourism’s contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and attracted more than 10,000 participants from 138 countries. Now, the jury has narrowed the field down to a shortlist of just 60 finalists.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

This competition is a UNWTO initiative, in collaboration with Wakalua (powered by Globalia), created as part of the collaboration with the United Nations Innovation Network, a common action framework by UN Agencies to develop public-private partnerships to support the SDGs. The finalists were chosen by a special jury made up of experts drawn from international banks, airlines, tourism destinations and technology platforms. Reflecting the global interest in the initiative, the 60 finalists come from 28 countries, with each of UNWTO’s five global regions represented in the final stages.

Now, the jury will work on selecting just one finalist for each of the 17 SDGs. Each startup will be assessed according to fixed criteria, including their ability to contribute to a specific SDG, the ease of value capture, their potential business impact and the maturity of both their product or platform and their team.

This final group of 17 startups will be announced throughout January. Then, in the spring, they will be invited to pitch their ideas to UNWTO, its partners and investors at the flagship event of the Global Startup Competition, the UNWTO SDG Tourism Tech Adventure (TTA), due to be held in Qatar this Spring.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

In addition to the chance to pitch at the TTA Innovation Forum, winning startups will gain access to leading technological support and to more than 100 venture capitalists. They will also be able to benefit from UNWTO’s network of partners, with curated mentorship programmes from, among others, Amadeus, Amazon Web Services, BBVA, ClarkeModet, FarCo, Globant, Google, the Inter-American Development Bank, IE University, Mastercard., MentorDay, Telefónica and Qatar Airways.

Madrid, Spain, December 28, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / We are almost at the end of what has been the most challenging year in the history of tourism. Almost overnight, the pandemic brought global tourism to a complete standstill.

Millions of people missed chances to explore different places and embrace different cultures and customs. And the world lost out on opportunities for tourism to create jobs, support businesses, kick-start development, and to protect and preserve the very things we leave our homes to see.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

However, in the face of such a downturn, tourism ends the year more united and determined than ever.

The UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee, created in March soon after the pandemic was declared, recently met for a final time in 2020.

This unique cross-sector platform coordinates international efforts and has proven to be crucial in guiding our response to COVID-19 and informing the measures and tools for mitigating its impact on jobs and businesses.

Notwithstanding new and ongoing developments of the pandemic, the Committee is geared towards accelerating the restart of tourism, always factoring in the most recent situation of global health.

Harmonized, consistent travel protocols are essential for restoring confidence in international travel and getting tourism moving again. UNWTO will maintain the momentum we gained in 2020 into the new year.

Over recent months, we have made political and business leaders listen and make tourism a part of their plans. We have emphasized the relevance of tourism to almost every part of our societies, most recently amplified through our partnership with CNN and reinforced through high-level, in-person visits to Member States including Portugal, Tunisia, Namibia, Brazil, Uruguay, Egypt, Italy, France, Belgium and Saudi Arabia.

This joined-up approach contributed to ensuring tourism has been given record levels of financial support and political goodwill and rewarded with public recognition. The European Commission has led the way in turning encouraging words into firm actions, most notably with its unprecedented economic support for tourism at this crucial time.

Through in-person visits to leaders in the Americas, Africa and Europe, and through welcoming the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, to address the most recent meeting of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, we now call on governments to do more. To show that safe international travel is not only possible but, given the social and economic benefits that only tourism can deliver, essential too.

Without doubt, news of a vaccine against the COVID-19 virus gives us reason for cautious optimism. However, the restart of tourism – and the many millions of people who depend on it – cannot wait for mass vaccinations to become a reality.

It is time now to rethink quarantine rules for tourists. To embrace innovation and new solutions for testing travellers before or after their journeys. Alongside this, restrictions on travel must be eased or lifted in a responsible and coordinated manner as soon as it is safe and feasible.

The important steps undertaken to ensure better coordination and refusing to stand still, are the precursors to prepare for the new year. 2021 could be a critical year for the restart of tourism, but only if we continue along this path.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

The foundations are there for this to be a turning point. It is a moment for directing our sector towards greater sustainability and inclusivity and realizing its massive potential to deliver lasting development and change for all. We cannot waste this chance.

Now, as we pause and reflect, I send you my best wishes from Madrid. Wherever you are, and however you celebrate, I wish you all a safe and restful festive period.

London, United Kingdom, December 27, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “While protecting public health is paramount, blanket travel bans cannot be the answer. They have not worked in the past and they will not work now.

“If a comprehensive and quick turnaround testing regime were in place at airports across the country to test all travellers before they depart, it would ensure only those infected with COVID-19 are isolated and are prevented from travelling. There would be no need for countries to introduce damaging and counterproductive wholesale bans on UK travellers.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

“People should not be deterred from travelling because they simply can’t find or arrange to get tested at a local testing centre or lab. We need to make it much easier for travellers to get a test prior to their journey.

“Travellers pose no higher risk than other members of the community if they follow all the internationally recognised health safety protocols, including the mandatory wearing of masks and regular testing.

“While we understand the concern and need to curb the spread of COVID-19, the growing number of blunt travel bans are incredibly disruptive and economically damaging. We should not underestimate the terrible social impact of increasing isolation and its effect on mental health.

“Every sector of the economy, not just Travel & Tourism, will suffer – as will those countries imposing the ban as their own economies feel the impact of border closures and the loss of business.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

“The Travel & Tourism sector will be critical to powering the economic recovery, which is why it is absolutely crucial that action must be taken now to save it. If not, it will collapse, and millions of people will lose their jobs.”

Madrid, Spain, December 26, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The First meeting of the Online Education Committee took place today, online, with the presence of high-level representatives from the public and private sector, with the objective to make education a key pillar for tourism´s recovery.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

As online education and access to digital skills is becoming remarkably necessary for the population, the Online Education Committee was created in the framework of the 112th session of the Executive Council held in Georgia in September 2020. The main objective is to provide the Secretary General and the Executive Council with advice and recommendations on education matters, as one of UNWTO´s fundamental priorities.  UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Investing in the tourism workers of today and tomorrow is more relevant than ever. Online tourism education can unlock opportunities for many, especially for those that otherwise will be left behind”
The members of the Committee  comprises the following Member States : Portugal and Greece as Members from Europe;  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as representant from the Middle East; Chile and Brazil from the Americas, Kenya and the Kingdom of Morocco from the African continent, Iran from the Commission of South Asia and Korea from the Commission of East Asia and the Pacific.

Investing in the tourism workers of today and tomorrow is more relevant than ever

In addition, the Government of Andorra was the Member State proposed to participate as observer of the Committee.

From the private sector, the Committee counts on the valuable participation of international recognized educational entities such as IE University, Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education Switzerland, CETT- University of Barcelona, Sommet Education, Les Roches Marbella and École Ducasse.  Highly reputed International Experts as Megan Epler Wood, CEO of Epler Wood International, Barbara Oakley from Oakland University and Joan Gaspart president of HUSA had also an important role on this session.
In this first meeting, the election of the Chair and Vice-chair of the Online Education Committee was one of the remarkable items of the agenda. Once the online voting procedure came to an end, Mohammed Alghamdi, Human Capital Development Advisor for the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Ana Paula País, Director of Training of Turismo de Portugal were finally elected Co-Chairs of the Online Education Committee after receiving the same number of votes.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

“Tourism recovery will start with us. We’ll empower Online Education to give opportunities to people who want to create professional-quality careers in tourism” affirmed Natalia Bayona, Director of Innovation, Education and Investments of UNWTO.

The second meeting of the Online Education Committee will be held in Madrid in the framework of the 113th session of the Executive Council 17th January 2021.

Lisbon, Portugal, December 25, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Meeting on the occasion of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, virtually from Lisbon, Portugal, on 9 December 2020, to accelerate the coordination of international cross-border travel principles and protocols in view of a safe and seamless restart of tourism, the members of the Committee recalled, in line with WHO and ECDC/EASA guidance, that:

1. The prevalence of COVID-19 in travellers is estimated likely to be lower than the prevalence in the general population or among contacts of confirmed cases.
2. Travellers should not be considered as a high-risk population and should be subject to the same regulations or recommendations as applied to the local population.
3. In the current epidemiological situation, quarantine or systematic testing for SARS-CoV-2 of air travellers is not recommended.

The Committee called for

1. Support for WHO in its efforts to work with partners to update and review evidence-based guidance for international travel consistent with International Health Regulations² provisions focusing on providing guidance for effective, risk-based, and coherent approaches (including targeted use of diagnostics and shorter quarantine lengths or the abolishment of quarantines) that consider transmission levels, response capacities in origin and destination countries, and relevant travel-specific considerations.
2. The establishment of internationally agreed evidence-based risk-assessment indicators and their harmonization among countries as is the case of the European Union traffic light system
3. Countries to ensure that measures affecting international traffic are risk-based, evidence-based, coherent, proportionate and time limited.
4. The implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) CART Take-off guidance and the Manual on Testing and Cross-border Risk Management Measures³
5. The stepping up of the coordination regarding the vaccination certificates to ensure a timely definition on common and harmonized principles and protocols related to vaccination certificates and international travel

Madrid, Spain, December 25, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism leaders from 18 countries met for the 14th annual UNWTO Asia-Pacific Executive Training Programme. In line with UNWTO’s Year of Tourism and Rural Development, the three-day programme focused on sharing knowledge and good practice relating to harnessing the power of the sector to create opportunities for all outside of big cities.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

Since 2006, UNWTO has organized the special training session with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. This Executive Training Programme is the only initiative of its kind in the region and is renowned for its stimulating content and thought-provoking discussions. Participants are able to design and formulate policies and programmes in their respective destinations to further stimulate tourism growth and enable the sector to be a viable force for good.

This 14th session, held virtually between 15-17 December, welcomed 37 participants from 18 different countries. The event was opened by Mr. Harry Hwang, Director for the Regional Department of Asia and the Pacific, followed by pre-recorded congratulatory remarks from both UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, and Vice-Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Ms. Youn-he Choi.

Among the topics addressed were governance and community development for enhanced rural development, and product development and commercialization of tourism experiences in rural areas. Also, and in line with UNWTO’s wider focus on innovation as a means of driving recovery, participants explored ideas relating to the digital transformation of tourism, including the potential to create new education and work opportunities. Furthermore, a special feature of this year’s edition of the Training Programme was a Special Session on Restarting International Tourism which presented successful case studies China, Greece, The Maldives, Portugal and the Republic of Korea.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

Finally, recognizing the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global tourism, the training programme aimed to facilitate the sharing of good practices for the recovery of tourism with practical examples from the region and beyond. The Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, H.E. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, presented encouraging numbers of international tourists in the Maldives, with over 35,759 international arrivals in November compared to 1,752 in July when the country started to reopen its borders. This was all thanks to the successful implementation of regulations and health protocols involving PCR testing, the creation of a tourist help desk at the airport, monitoring of inter-resort movements, and compliance training for tourism staff.

Ha Noi, Viet Nam, December 24, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Viet Nam’s leading environmental policy-makers, experts, business leaders, local and international organizations today endorsed an action platform, which aims to help Viet Nam dramatically reduce the flow of plastic waste into land and ocean, develop a roadmap to eliminate single-use plastic, non-biodegradable plastic bags, especially in cities, coastal tourist destinations and marine protected areas.

The Viet Nam National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) is a collaboration between the Government of Viet Nam, represented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Global Plastic Action Partnership, a multistakeholder platform at the World Economic Forum that translates commitments to reduce plastic pollution and develop a circular economy.

Under international experts’ “business-as-usual” projections, plastic waste leakage into the nation’s water bodies is expected to grow by 106% between 2021 and 2030, unless bold, systemic action is taken to address the root causes of this plastic pollution crisis. These include material redesign, sustainable production and consumption to strengthening waste management capacity.

Under Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s Decision No. 1746/QĐ-TTg on 4 December, 2019, the Government of Viet Nam has established a series of time-bound targets for addressing the plastic pollution crisis. These include cutting plastic waste in marine bodies by one-half by 2025, achieving a 75% reduction in marine plastics by 2030, and eliminating single-use plastics and non-biodegradable bags from coastal tourist destinations and marine protected areas by 2030.

On November 17, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed the Law on Environmental Protection (amended) 2020 with breakthrough contents on minimizing, reusing, recycling and treating plastic waste; prevention of marine plastic waste pollution, which prescribes responsibilities for organizations and individuals to limit the use, reduce, segregate and dispose wastes which are single-use plastic products and non-biodegrade plastic bags.

The Viet Nam National Plastic Action Partnership aims to help accelerate progress of the vibrant community of plastic action initiatives already active in Viet Nam towards these targets. NPAP will be playing a convening and connecting role, bringing together public, private and civil society stakeholders to align behind a common approach for tackling plastic waste and pollution, as well as transitioning to a sustainable circular economy model for plastics.

“We are looking forward to the contribution from the NPAP to support strategies, plans and schemes for plastic waste management in Viet Nam, facilitate meaningful initiatives in addressing plastic pollution and promote circular economic development in Viet Nam and in the ASEAN. I hope that the Program that we launched today will create a foundation for partnerships between regulators, business community, bilateral and multilateral international partners to effectively tackle the plastic pollution problem, as well as promote sustainable plastic production and consumption through developing of a circular economy for plastics. Thereby, Vietnam will contribute to the global efforts to tackle the plastic pollution problem” said Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Nature Resources and Environment, Viet Nam.

Among the NPAP’s key deliverables is the development and introduction of a national action road map, endorsed by a cross-section of the country’s leading experts, which lays out tangible system change interventions that the nation needs to pursue to halt the mounting plastic pollution and marine plastic debris crisis. The road map is expected to be released in the next few months.

“Through this collaboration, we are delighted to build on and strengthen the ties between the World Economic Forum and Viet Nam – one that is based on a mutual desire to adopt more sustainable and circular models that both benefit Viet Nam’s precious marine ecosystem and protect the livelihoods of Vietnamese people,” said Kristin Hughes, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum. “Today, Viet Nam has officially become one of the early adopters of our unique multistakeholder collaboration model for accelerating plastic action, alongside Indonesia and Ghana. I expect the lessons and successes from this partnership will inform and catalyse similarly ambitious initiatives among other nations in the Asia-Pacific region.”

First conceptualized by the Government of Viet Nam and the Global Plastic Action Partnership at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, this locally-driven partnership has been brought to life with the instrumental support of private sector and civil society organizations in Viet Nam.
“The UK has been a strong supporter of the Global Plastic Action Partnership since 2018, with USD 3.5 million equivalent of UK Aid invested. It is a great pleasure to witness the launch of the National Plastic Action Partnership in Vietnam today. We support its work with the Government of Viet Nam to promote actions to tackle plastic waste in the country.” – highlighted by Marcus Winsley, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Viet Nam. “Plastic pollution is a global issue and we need global collaboration to tackle it. The UK is pleased to play a part and have the opportunity to support the development of a dynamic and cross-sectoral mechanism to do this at regional, national and subnational levels”.

“As a co-founding member of the Viet Nam NPAP with the World Economic Forum, WWF-Viet Nam applauds the leadership from the Government of Viet Nam and the companionship from other partners, to advance national and sub-national actions to deliver our national plastic mitigation targets and create a green circular economy,” said Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director of WWF Viet Nam. “In our effort to support the NPAP programme and the Vietnamese government, WWF-Vietnam is also sponsoring and co-implementing the Mitigating Marine Plastic Debris in Vietnam project. In coordination with the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands in this project, we expect the project will contribute to tackling the environmental impact of plastic waste through the development of technical guidelines to support the implementation of solid waste management policies, communication activities, capacity building, awareness raising and behavioural change relating to plastic waste consumption.”

“Canada is proud to be a founding member of the Global Plastic Action Partnership and is investing CAD$6M to support the implementation of NPAPs including in Indonesia, Ghana and Vietnam,” said Deborah Paul, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam. “We pay particular attention to addressing inequalities and vulnerabilities across the entire plastics management lifecycle, especially concerning women and girls and marginalised groups who are disproportionally affected by plastic pollution”.

“We are honoured to be invited by the Viet Nam NPAP to champion this initiative, and have decided to participate as the objectives of the programme are in alignment with our sustainability goals,” said Nguyen Viet Quang, Chief Executive Officer of Vingroup, a founding member of the NPAP.

The Program Launching Ceremony was co-organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the World Economic Forum and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Viet Nam.

London, United Kingdom, December 24, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Following its launch in May this year, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) highly popular Safe Travels stamp, has now been adopted by 200 destinations around the world.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, made history when it launched the world’s first ever global safety and hygiene mark – the Safe Travels stamp – earlier this year.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

It was created in order to restore traveller confidence and revive the global Travel & Tourism sector, which has been left devasted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as more destinations around the world continue to adopt the Safe Travels stamp, the incredible 200 destination milestone was reached, with Chile, U.S. Virgin Islands, Belize, Dominica, Nicaragua, and Uzbekistan becoming the latest to sign up to the stamp.

Among the other 200 major popular holiday hot spots around the world using the stamp to reassure travellers and restore confidence to travel are Egypt, Turkey, Portugal, Argentina, Tunisia, and Indonesia.

The WTTC Safe Travels stamp reached its first major milestone just a few weeks ago when the Philippines became the 100th destination.
The globally recognised stamp enables travellers to distinguish destinations around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so they can experience ‘Safe Travels’.

This pioneering move by WTTC also received the backing of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the launch of global protocols to recover the Travel & Tourism sector has been embraced by over 200 CEO’s including some of the world’s major tourism groups.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “We are delighted to see our Safe Travels is proving so successful and is being adopted by destinations from all corners of the globe. 

“Reaching this incredible milestone, with 200 destinations around the world now proudly holding our Safe Travels stamp, is testimony to the hard work which has been put in to make the stamp work for both destinations and holidaymakers.

“The stamp shows all 200 of these global destinations are working together to help rebuild consumer confidence worldwide – and revive the international Travel & Tourism sector.

“Travellers will be able to recognise the destinations which have adopted the new set of global protocols, encouraging the return of ‘Safe Travels’ around the world.”

Anasha Campbell, Minister of Tourism, Nicaragua said: “Nicaragua promotes a responsible, sustainable, inclusive and accessible tourism for all; having the human being as the center of our policies and strategies. Our priority is the health and well-being of our visitors and our people. 

“That is why we are honored to have received the Safe Travels stamp, demonstrating the alignment of our Biosecurity Protocols for the Tourism Sector with the global standards of WTTC, to regain the trust of our visitors and offer them authentic and unforgettable experiences.”

Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, Belize, said: “Belize is delighted to be recognized through the WTTC’s Safe Travels stamp. Following the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic, my country’s highest priority has been and remains the health and safety of our guests.  Within this context, we have implemented extensive health and safety protocols as part of a Gold Standard Recognition Program for accommodations, tour operators and other industry partners. The WTTC’s Stamp is a milestone achievement for Belize, and is truly a strong testament of Belize’s unwavering commitment to an environment which is safe, secure and provides an authentic and meaningful experience to our visitors!”

The widespread adoption of the stamp demonstrates that WTTC and all its worldwide Members put the safety and hygiene of travellers as their top priority.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

The protocols were designed following guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and taking best practices from WTTC’s Members into account.

Evidence from WTTC’s Crisis Readiness report, which looked at 90 different types of crises in the last 20 years, highlights the importance of public-private cooperation and the implementation of standardised protocols.

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), made a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generated one in four of all new jobs.