As Cancún and the Mexican Caribbean prepare to reopen for tourists after suffering an estimated US $1 billion in lost revenue, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has given the destination its safety stamp of approval.
The WTTC has announced that the Mexican Caribbean will be the first destination in the Americas to receive a newly created “Safe Travels” global safety and hygiene certification, backed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and more than 200 CEOs in the tourism sector.
The region joins cities in Saudi Arabia, Portugal and Spain that have adopted globally standardized protocols recognized by the WTTC, with the hope that the certification will increase travelers’ confidence in the approved destinations.
The stamp will be offered to hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants, shops, transportation services and airports that adopt the WTTC’s guidelines.
“We have learned from past crises that global standard protocols and consistency provide confidence for the traveler. Our new global safety stamp is designed to help rebuild consumer confidence worldwide,” the WTTC said in a press release.
“We appreciate being one of the first destinations to receive this certification from [the WTTC],” Quintana Roo Governor Carlos Joaquín González said. “The state authorities and tourism companies have worked as a team to guarantee the trust and safety of tourists.”
Major tourism operators are hopeful that the industry can rebound. “We see the early signs of our industry’s resiliency, but we also believe that restoring consumer confidence is the greatest accelerant to increasing traveler demand,” says TripAdvisor CEO Steve Kaufer, who applauded the WTTC’s initiative. “Safety has always been top a priority for travelers, and the need to feel safe will only become more important in the months and years ahead.”
The WTTC safe travel protocols were developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the International Air Transport Association, the Airport Council International and the Cruise Lines International Association.
Source: El Economista (sp)
