• The objective of giving Cancun the Global Safety Stamp recognition is to promote the safe reactivation of the tourist activity and regain the confidence of travelers, with hygiene and sanitation measures.
• UNWTO expressed its full support for the protocols issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
• “Cancun joins the measures for the prevention and safety of travelers, in addition to decisively promoting tourism,” said Carlos Joaquín González, Governor of Quintana Roo.
Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean will become the first destination on the American Continent (along with Saudi Arabia, Barcelona, Portugal, and Seville) to receive the Global Safety Stamp to be delivered by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to destinations that adopt its standards to ensure the hygiene of establishments and measures to protect the health of travelers.
The launch of the safe travel stamp has the full support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and more than 200 CEOs of the main business groups in the sector around the world.
This distinction will provide travelers with confidence about hygiene and sanitation standards in establishments and companies, such as hotels, restaurants, airlines, airports, and cruises, among other activities related to tourism.
Gloria Guevara Manzo, President, and CEO of the WTTC stated that “we are very excited since the first destinations to receive the seal will be Cancun, which is a world-class tourist center, together with Saudi Arabia, which chairs the G20 tourism group, Barcelona, Portugal, and Seville; they are all world-class destinations that have supported the seal by implementing safe travel protocols. ”
Carlos Joaquín González, Governor of the State of Quintana Roo, said that “the Mexican Caribbean and Cancun fully join the measures that the WTTC has issued for the prevention and safety of travelers. We are ready to decisively promote the development of the tourist activity ”.
“We appreciate being one of the first destinations to receive this seal of the World Council, in terms of protection and prevention of health. The state authorities and tourism companies have worked as a team to guarantee the trust and safety of tourists, ” he added.
Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General said: “We welcome the WTTC global security seal and safe travel protocols, your contribution to restoring trust will be key and we will succeed if we work together. The collaboration of the public and private sectors is essential, we are happy to work together with the WTTC in the post-COVID-19 recovery and we value their contribution to the UNWTO Global Crisis Committee. ”
The new safe travel protocols recently announced by the WTTC were developed following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and in close collaboration with the International Association of Air Transport (IATA), the International Council of Airports (ACI) and the International Association of Cruise Lines (CLIA) to guarantee alignment throughout the sector.
The WTTC analyzed 90 different types of crises globally and highlighted the importance of public-private cooperation. Regarding the contribution of the tourism sector to economic development, it should be noted that in 2019 it contributed 10.3% of world GDP, was responsible for generating one in four of the world’s new jobs and, for nine consecutive years, exceeded the growth of the economy world