The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) granted the state of Querétaro the Safe Travels stamp, which certifies the state as a safe destination for tourists.

In 2019, Querétaro welcomed some 2.5 million tourists who spent 12 billion pesos, around US $534 million at today’s exchange rate. This year, just 98,000 tourists have visited the state, the Ministry of Tourism reports.

Baja California Sur, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Yucatán have already received the Safe Travels stamp, granted with the intention of assuring that destinations are safe despite the presence of the coronavirus.

“Ultimately, we envision a future of travel which is safe, secure, seamless, and provides an authentic and meaningful experience to the traveler across the journey,” the WTTC says. “The specially designed stamp will allow travelers and other travel and tourism stakeholders to recognize destination authorities and companies around the world that have implemented health and hygiene protocols that are aligned with WTTC’s Safe Travels protocols.”

The governor congratulated the state’s tourist industry for obtaining the designation.

“My recognition to all members of the tourism sector in our state for this distinction, the result of their organization and commitment. To travel through Querétaro is to travel safely,” Francisco Domínguez Servién said.

The guidelines established by the World Travel and Tourism Council follow standards issued by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and have the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In order to be granted the Safe Travels stamp, tourism destinations must come up with a set of health protocols that meet with the WTTC’s approval.

Source: El Universal (sp), El Economista (sp)