Sri Lanka gets safe travels stamp from World Travel and Tourism Council

Sri Lanka is among the two latest recipients of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp for safety protocols.

The global safety and hygiene stamp was launched by the WTTC to allow potential travellers to identify places and companies that have adopted standardised health and hygiene protocols, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The other recipient of the stamp, alongside Sri Lanka, is Grenada.

Recognising the safety protocols introduced by the Government of Sri Lanka along with standards mandated by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to ensure the safety of domestic and international travellers, destination Sri Lanka was recently endowed with the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp.

“Having one of the world’s highest success rates in combatting Covid-19, positions Sri Lanka as an exemplary destination for safe travels,” says Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando, highlighting that the stringent safety standards imposed coupled with the country’s laudable healthcare system has highlighted the island as a travel destination that can offer unique experiences to tourists, whilst prioritising their health and sanitation”.

“The stamp represents a critical step in rebuilding consumer confidence in Travel and Tourism and allowing travelers to rest easy knowing that enhanced standards of hygiene are in place and they can once again experience ‘Safe Travels’,” WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said.

“Our Safe Travels stamp continues to be a great success and we are thrilled to see even more popular countries and destinations adopt our global health and hygiene protocols." She added.

The growing list of endorsements have come from many major holiday and city destinations around the world, with the holiday destinations of Sri Lanka and Grenada joining other summer sun destinations such as the ever-popular Alicante and Benidorm in Spain.

Eswatini, the popular wildlife and safari destination in Southern Africa, joins a growing list of African nations to adopt ‘Safe Travels’, including Rwanda and Tanzania.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has welcomed the WTTC Safe Travels stamp, which place the safety and hygiene of travellers as top priority.

Since the launch of the WTTC Safe Travels stamp, destination countries and cities, around the world have now adopted WTTC’s new protocols, including holiday heavyweights such as Portugal, Dubai, Egypt and Turkey.

As part of its Safe Travels protocols, these worldwide measures provide consistency and guidance to travel providers and travellers about the new approach to health, hygiene, deep cleansing and physical distancing, in the ‘new normal’ of COVID-19 world.

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.

The SLTDA is currently working on providing the stamp of safety to all travel and hospitality related stakeholders in the private sector following assessment of their adherence to SLTDA imposed Covid-19 safety standards which have been validated by WTTC. The safety stamp will have a two-fold benefit both as a value addition to business entities and an assurance for travellers coming to Sri Lanka in a post Covid-19 world.