São Paulo – Jordan, Tunisia and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE have been awarded this month a Safe Travels stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The new label enables travelers to find destinations and enterprises around the world which have embraced the WTTC’s safety and hygiene protocols. Pictured above is Petra, Jordan, vacant due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Global Vision Access (GVA), the tourism and marketing company representing the Jordan Tourism Board in Brazil, told ANBA that the country is reopening its establishments under a five-phased plan ranging from critical to low risk. The fourth, moderate-risk phase is ongoing, meaning that economic and social activities have resumed for the most part, including restaurants, hotels, domestic tourism, audience-free sports events and administrative activities, GVA said. However, there are no set dates to reopen to international tourism.
Arab News reported that travelers arriving in Jordan need to observe a 14-day quarantine at hotels assigned by local authorities, plus 14 days’ self-isolation. According to the WTTC, the likes of Turkey and Egypt have also subscribed to the new protocols. “The stamp is critical to reestablish consumer confidence in Travel & Tourism and ensure travelers can rest assured that enhanced standards of hygiene are in place and they can once again experience ‘Safe Travels’,” a press release quoted WTTC president & CEO Gloria Guevara as saying.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority CEO Raki Phillips said the protocols and stamp represent efforts to revitalize the industry during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. “With all these measures in place, we are witnessing an uptick in domestic travel and preparations are well underway to welcome international markets as travel corridors open up,” Phillips said.
According to the 2020 WTTC Economic Impact Report, tourism accounted for one in every ten existing jobs in the world last year. It also accounted for one in four new jobs and made up 10.3% of the global GDP.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
