More Latin American destinations obtain the Safe Travels Stamp from the WTTC

Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Puerto Rico are the destinations in the Latin American region that have recently joined the list of countries that obtain the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel Council and Tourism (WTTC, for its acronym in English).

It is the world's first safety and hygiene seal, launched earlier this year by the WTTC, to help restore traveler confidence, and which aims to revive a travel and tourism sector in crisis.

The Safe Travels Stamp is being used by major vacation destinations around the world.

The seal enables travelers to recognize destinations that have adopted standardized global health and hygiene protocols, so they can experience safe travel.

This WTTC initiative received the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Global protocols to recover the travel and tourism sector have been adopted by more than 200 CEOs, including some of the world's leading tourism groups.

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the WTTC, said: “The Safe Travel Seal continues to grow stronger and we are pleased with its success. More than 120 destinations now proudly wear the seal, which are working together to help rebuild consumer confidence around the world. "

She explained that “as the seal continues to grow in popularity, travelers will be able to more easily recognize destinations around the world that have adopted global protocols, encouraging the return of safe travel. The success of the seal shows its importance not only for countries and destinations, but also for travelers and the 330 million people on the planet who work and depend on a thriving travel and tourism sector ”.

The Minister of Tourism and Sports of Argentina, Matías Lammens, said: "We celebrate the initiative of the WTTC to provide tourists from all over the world a travel experience focused on safety and quality of service throughout the value chain. The more than 10 protocols developed by Argentina for tourism are a sample of the work articulated between the public and private sectors, as well as with the academic one. Now, aligning them with the WTTC's "Safe Travels" seal reinforces the message we transmit: Argentina it is open for business and ready to welcome travelers from all over the world. "
 
Rocío Barrios, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru, spoke of the importance of Peru having obtained the recognition of the WTTC, which shows that the Peruvian government is fully committed to the tourism sector and the importance of its reactivation.

The Minister of Tourism of Paraguay, Sofía Montiel de Afara, said: “The Safe Travels seal comes to praise the efforts made by Paraguay in health matters, and shows that despite the pandemic, tourism is a resilient sector that has adapted to the new normal. In what we say in Paraguay "safe way to live", we take care of each other, and we will continue to offer unparalleled experiences to visitors ".

Carla Campos, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, said: “Our country was one of the first destinations in the Western Hemisphere to design and implement an industry-specific health and safety program with the creation of the Certification of the Gold Star Health and Safety Seal, from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Today, we are proud to join the WTTC global protocol and seals program. "

Mynor Cordón, INGUAT Director General stated that “for the Guatemalan Tourism Institute it is an honor to be ambassadors of the Safe Travels Seal of the WTTC, backed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with which we seek to promote the health and hygiene protocols of the tourism value chain, which in Guatemala were developed by the tourism governing body in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Health through the Good Practice Guides for the Prevention of COVID-19 and other infections for 13 sectors of the sector in order for consumers to regain confidence and experience "Safe Travel".

Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism of El Salvador, commented: “In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism of El Salvador led the development of eight biosecurity protocols for the entire tourism industry, and the Safe Travel Seal recognizes the work of our Government and gives a message of confidence to all travelers who decide to return or visit our country for the first time. The seal supports El Salvador's commitment to offer a tourist operation in line with the expectations of the new normal ”.

The widespread adoption of the seal demonstrates that the WTTC and all its members place the safety and hygiene of travelers as their top priority. The protocols designed by the WTTC follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The WTTC has been at the forefront of leading the private sector in pushing to rebuild global consumer confidence and encourage the return of safe travel. According to the WTTC Economic Impact Report, during 2019 the travel and tourism sector was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million in total), which made a contribution of 10.3% to world GDP and generated one out of every four new jobs on the planet.