'Safe Travels': Global Protocols & Stamp for the New Normal

The Industry & Our Members say...

Zurab Pololikashvili
UNWTO Secretary-General

“We welcome WTTC’s global safety stamp and Safe Travels protocols and its contribution to restoring confidence. This is key to build trust and we will only succeed if we work together. Public and private sector collaboration are of the essence here and we are happy to be working together with WTTC on the post COVID-19 recovery, and value its contribution to UNWTOs Global Crisis Committee, where we gather other leading private sector bodies, our members and key UN agencies. We are united in the common goal of tourism’s comeback to generate benefits going far beyond our sector. Trust and tourism will catalyse consumer demand, investments and jobs, thus generating opportunities for all.”

His Excellency Mr Ahmed Aqeel Al-Khateeb
Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia

"As Chair of this year’s G20 Tourism Track, we are putting public-private cooperation at the heart of international efforts for a swift recovery. The WTTC’s new Safe Travels global protocols are an essential step on that path to recovery, by helping to provide consistency and reassurance for travellers. In Saudi Arabia, the health and safety of our citizens and visitors is paramount. We have been working closely with the WTTC on the New Normal Task Force and believe the final protocols of the Safe Travels Stamp will be an important milestone for the global tourism sector."

Rita Marques
Secretaria de Estado, Visit Portugal

"Portugal has been commited in reassuring our tourists they will always have the best experience in our country. This stamp, together with our “Clean & Safe” program, is one step further in reassuring everyone that we take care, our destination is focused on recovery and trust is at the core of our business."

Carlos Joaquín
Governor of Quintana Roo

“Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean have implemented the new safety measures for travellers that WTTC has recognised and approved through the Safe Travels stamp.”

Alexandre de Juniac
CEO, IATA

“COVID-19 is a gamechanger for the travel and tourism sector, requiring us to enhance our approach to health and safety to protect our travellers and workforce. Aviation is the business of freedom and it is vital to enable its restart on a safe basis. IATA is delighted to lend its framework and collaborate with WTTC on the Aviation Protocols as part of its Safe Travels initiative.This is an excellent example of the industry solidarity and cooperation that will be so vital to ensuring a strong recovery for travel and tourism.”

Angela Gittens
Director, ACI World

“Our industry has been brought to a standstill. A balanced and effective restart and recovery of the global travel and tourism sector depends on collaboration among the key participants in this ecosystem and we welcome the ambitious approach taken by the WTTC. Collaboration will help to establishing a globally-consistent approach to recovery which will be the most effective way of balancing risk mitigation with the need to enable travel and foster economic recovery while also reassuring the travelling public that health and safety remain the overall priorities.”

Antonio Jiménez
Director Gerente, Congresos y Turismo de Sevilla

"Seville applauds the Safe Travel initiative of the World Travel Tourism Council –WTTC, presenting the sector with a series of global protocols aimed at restarting the travel and tourism industry. It will undoubtedly serve to restore confidence to the traveler, but on everything, so that he can travel safely again. We are living an unprecedented situation affecting our life styles, business models and economic sectors, being the Meetings & Events Industry specially hit by this turmoil.
The WTTC Safe Travel protocols for Convention Centers, Meetings and Events are a consistent framework for the revitalization of our activity focused on health, hygiene, physical distancing and safety across all relevant functions. Its implementation will provide coherence and orientation to destinations and countries, but will also act as a guide for different international key players, such as, travel providers, operators, retail, different tour operators ... etc. and finally, the traveler.
For all these reasons, Seville, which is working on the elaboration of an ambitious Tourism Promotion Plan 2020/2021 that reformulates the municipal tourism policy with the purpose of recovering activity, unconditionally supports the initiative of the WTTC and recognizes its leadership and invaluable help in the recovery work worldwide in these difficult and exceptional times for the sector."

Beth Potter
President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

"We've been working to align Ontario's tourism business protocols with the global standards, and welcome the opportunity to join this global campaign. A global approach to a seamless travel experience is essential to recovery. The Safe Travels stamp will be a great way to provide that signal of trust with our future guests."

Marian Muro
Director General, Tourism Barcelona

"First of all, we wish to congratulate the WTTC for this initiative. Right now, Barcelona's priority is focusing on the adoption of the appropriate security measures and protocols to make our visitors feel safe through the establishment of the BCN Safe City project and other innovative tools. Public and private sectors are working closely together to offer security and confidence to the tourism and travel industry in their activity at Barcelona. We are leaving a reactivation of demand and a great interest in traveling to our Mediterranean and innovative city. Therefore, and in order to strengthen that trust, we consider the global protocols designed by the WTTC to be essential, which will allow the travel and tourism industry to align around the same global health and safety guidelines that will help protect travelers on their trips."

Almudena Maillo
Concejal Delegada, Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Madrid

"In the city of Madrid we are fully committed with the health, safety and security of our visitors. In the evolution we are leading for tourism recovery, it is crucial that our industry implement measures and protocols to regain confidence in travel. We support and applaud this WTTC Safe Travels initiative as it matches the needs of travellers and tourism sector, with clear safety and health recommendations, allowing businesses to easily provide their clients a visual identification that the Safe Travels protocols are being implemented".

Avinash Gopee
Chairperson, Tourism Authority – Republic of Mauritius

"Mauritius has always been viewed as a safe, luxurious and welcoming Destination for the World. We are unfortunately not an exception to the Global COVID-19 crisis. At the wake of a gradual resumption of activities in the Tourism Sector, the Tourism Authority under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, has been pro-active to initiate a set of Mandatory Sanitary Measures for the Relaunch of Tourist activities. We feel privileged and thankful for endorsing these measures and at the same time including Mauritius within the WTTC family. We are adamant that this recognition shall bring light on Mauritius as a Safe Destination for our local stakeholders, our supply International Markets and to the World."

Chris Nassetta
WTTC Chairman and Hilton’s President & CEO

“We see green shoots of hope emerging as our global community turns its attention toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But we know that travellers will only venture out into the world again when they feel it is safe to do so, making it critically important that we give them the confidence and peace of mind they need.
The global protocols WTTC has laid out are designed to align the travel and tourism industry around consistent health and safety guidelines that will help protect travellers wherever their journey takes them.”

Federico J. González
President & CEO, Radisson Hospitality
“We need to make sure that the travel industry speaks the same language and each consumer understands what safety means in hotels, regardless of their location. Having a common worldwide protocol will allow consumers to recognise the same safety standards wherever they travel. 

“The WTTC Safe Travels protocols will make this same language possible for the benefit of everybody in this industry. This is the reason why Radisson Hotel Group fully supports this initiative and is looking forward to helping expand the WTTC Safe Travels protocols as much as possible, across the globe.”

Desirée Bollier
Chair & Chief Global Merchant, The Bicester Village Shopping Collection

“The Bicester Village Shopping Collection is delighted to lend its Shopping Protocol methodology to the important Global Protocol initiative that the WTTC is leading.  As we face a new reality, it is fundamental to place the health and security of customers, partners and staff at the core business operations. So too, public and private must work together to share best practise and establish universally recognised guidelines to re-instil the trust and confidence of regulatory bodies, the traveller and, to accelerate travel and tourism recovery.”

Ariane Gorin
Group President, Expedia Business Services

“As we move from crisis management to recovery, it is critical that we put the health, safety and security of travellers and our Travel & Tourism workforce at the heart of what we do. At Expedia Group, we back the WTTC's efforts to work across the industry on regulations and guidelines to get people travelling safely again so we can all experiene the magic of travel again.”

Arne Sorenson
CEO, Marriott International

“We appreciate the World Travel and Tourism Council’s efforts to develop and communicate the health and cleanliness steps the industry is taking globally to safeguard our associates and customers as travel resumes.”

Keith Barr
Chief Executive, InterContinental Hotels Group

“As an industry, we have always made the safety and wellbeing of guests and colleagues our top priority. IHG is proud to support the WTTC in shaping this best practice guidance in areas such as cleanliness and hygiene, all underpinned by the most relevant training and preparedness for hotel teams.
This important work illustrates how our industry can come together to provide the reassurance and confidence that will be so important as people return to travel.”

Sébastien Bazin
Chairman and CEO, Accor Group

"Welcoming, protecting and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do as hoteliers. The dedication of owners and teams during this period is exemplary and our industry is doing everything it possibly can to meet accommodation needs as effectively as possible. Accor is proud to support the WTTC Safe Travels initiative thus building trust and getting the world back to traveling in the safest conditions."

Brett Tollman
Chief Executive, Travel Corporation

“Our industry faces an existential threat. We need to define new protocols and measures to get people’s confidence to travel again, for leisure and business. WTTC is best positioned to help work with us and governments to define those together.
We believe WTTC is best suited to work with all governments, the WHO and other necessary organisations to agree how we are going to operate in the new ‘abnormal’. Let’s put our differences aside, come together and expeditiously with WTTC define these new protocols and measures, get them in front of governments, get them signed off and let’s get out there, convincing people to travel again with all of us.”

Alex Zozaya
Executive Chairman, Apple Leisure Group

"Hello, I’m Alex Zozaya, Chairman of Apple Leisure Group and Vice Chairman of the WTTC for Latin America and the Caribbean, as all of you, I’m deeply concerned about the travel today all over the world, we must regain the trust on the traveler, we have to avoid the confusion and the uncertainty that prevails in the market today. The WTTC has created these universal protocols, that hopefully, as us, you will embrace happily. Thank you very much for your support."

Greg Webb
CEO, Travelport

"The global travel industry is united in its desire to support a safe, healthy and responsible return for travel. However, for this to be achieved, the industry and governments across the world must now unite around a consistent set of clear, practical and meaningful protocols, which are backed up by medical evidence and give travelers the confidence they need to once again take to the skies. We applaud the World Travel and Tourism Council for taking the lead on developing the Aviation Global Protocols and are proud to have contributed to their formation."

Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and Geoffrey J W Kent
Co-Chairman and CEO, Founder and Co-Chairman, Abercrombie & Kent

"WTTC is playing an essential leadership role in our industry by establishing the best practices in health and safety needed to respond to this unprecedented crisis and rebuild consumer trust and confidence. The continued advocacy, the #TOGETHERINTRAVEL campaign to show how travel brings us closer together, roll-out of global protocols and many other efforts by the WTTC and its members are all key to accelerating the recovery of the industry. Together we will set a new benchmark to guide operations as we restart and ensure the traveler experience is as safe and secure as we can make it."

Jane Sun
CEO, Trip.com Group

"For us and our partners, the safety of travellers is always our top priority. We are more than happy to see that WTTC is setting global standards to ensure a safe experience and bringing confidence back to all travellers. 
Whenever you are ready to take your next trip, we are here to support you."

Matthew D. Upchurch
Chairman and CEO, Virtuoso

“Restoring consumer confidence will be the single biggest barrier the travel industry needs to overcome in a post-pandemic world. The Global Hospitality Standards from the WTTC will help provide a source for reliable cleaning protocols that applies universally, providing Virtuoso clients and all travelers a higher degree of assurance before booking their next trip.”

Pansy Ho
Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Shun Tak Holdings Group

“Shun Tak, being a committed investor in regional transportation, integrated hotel and destinations across Hong Kong, Macau and China, fully supports WTTC’s efforts in driving the rebound of the tourism sector. 
We stand in solidarity with WTTC to embrace travel and tourism once again, under the valuable guidelines set out in the ‘Global Guidance’, putting safety, health, security and sustainability as priorities as we unite to revitalize our industry.”

Darrell Wade
Co-founder and Chairman, Intrepid Group

"Safety and collaboration have never been more important, so its outstanding to see the travel industry work together as one to ensure the health and wellbeing of travellers, workers and community members."

Lisa Simon
Executive Director, International Inbound Travel Association

“The travel industry’s priority for recovery must be to protect the well-being of travelers and to rebuild their trust that health and safety measures are being consistently applied throughout their travel experience. We applaud this initiative by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to develop global health and safety protocols for the new normal within every travel industry sector. IITA worked with the WTTC to adapt the protocols for the tour operator segment. We urge tour operators to adopt these standards and work with partners that also adhere to the WTTC’s health and safety protocols to reassure travelers that they can expect the same level of safety at all points throughout their trips. IITA members - U.S. inbound tour operators, suppliers and destination marketing organizations – are committed to best practices and protocols focused on health, hygiene and physical distancing to enable a robust recovery as conditions for international travel improve. ”

Pawel Niewiadomski
President, ECTAA – The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations

"We need common guidelines for the elaboration of health and safety protocols developed by and for the industry, to help travel companies of all sizes and in all parts of the world to offer their customers a safe and enjoyable travel experience taking into account the Covid-19 constraints. We thank the WTTC for taking the initiative and putting together these guidelines in consultation with industry partners in such a short time!"

Steve Kaufer
CEO and Co-Founder, Tripadvisor

“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. 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. As the owners and operators of hotels reopen, travelers will want know what steps these properties are taking in order to keep them healthy. Tripadvisor applauds the WTTC and its Safe Travels initiative as the industry launches a common framework aimed at creating a safe, healthy and secure environment for guests during their stay. As a company, Tripadvisor will continue its work in partnership with the WTTC and others within the tourism industry to help travelers easily find health and safety information that gives them the confidence to plan their next trip.”

Jamie Rhee
Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA)

"Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airports are getting ready to reconnect the world to Chicago and Chicago to the world. The Chicago Department of Aviation is working hard to safely welcome passengers to our airports and we are following many of the same WTTC Safe Travels protocols to ensure everyone traveling through our airports are protected. Following these increased health, safety, and security guidelines ensures that we are all working together to provide a safe travel experience. We will return to the airports in safe and healthy ways and together travel will once again become a normal part of our lives."

Kike Sarasola
Founder & President, Room Mate

"We are living in difficult times. This pandemic is hitting all our industry very hard. We have to remember that this is a pandemic, it’s not an endemic problem, it’s not a systemic problem, it’s a pandemic which means it has a beginning and it has an end. The end will be when we have the vaccine.
It is very important that, in the meantime, we work together – the public and the private sector, to have protocols, to have new ideas, to make our tourists and our clients have sanitary tranquility; confidence to travel. We have to give back confidence to all the people who travel, to all the people who work and have to visit other countries or cities and we do that working together.
WTTC is promoting very good initiatives and I really think that’s the way to do it. We have to work together. We, as a private sector, know how to deal with our sector, and the public sector should listen to us.
We want to help. Please, let us help you."

Robin Ingle
CEO, MSH Ingle International, Travel Navigator, Novus Health

"Travel and Tourism is an important cornerstone to society. Through travel we enrich our knowledge and our lives, making the world a better place. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we operate, but it does not extinguish our need to roam the planet. WTTC, governments, and the travel industry know that Travel & Tourism is a major economic engine driving growth, development, sanitation, health and education. Through WTTC’s leadership and with the collaboration of the travel industry we see a rebirth of travel in stages over the next few years. Thought leaders in the industry have created innovative ideas to modify travel, removing barriers and concerns. We see a strong re-emergence in international mobility with purpose and thoughtfulness, engaging all stakeholders in its design and direction. Our company is focused on supporting the needs of travellers, governments, and the travel industry. Our goal is to simplify and promote healthy and safe travels by providing trusted, integrated mobile tools and professional services. We believe that enabling a touchless, seamless journey will make it easier for travellers to start exploring the world again."

Yuji Akasaka
Representative Director, Executive President, Japan Airlines

"We would like to thank WTTC for their deep understanding of the aviation industry and for their worldwide support. At this moment I think the most important issue is that all members involved in tourism join forces and cooperate. I believe it is to overcome this crisis. Through WTTC’s widespread initiatives, we would like to work not only with the aviation sector but also with the tourism industry as a whole."

Gabriel Escarrer
Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Meliá Hotels International

"Safe Travel and Health Confidence are the new priorities, and are here to stay; the pandemic is a common concern for companies and destinations throughout the world, and it is a shared responsibility for us to work together and offer global health & safety standards against COVID-19. We therefore welcome the Global standards approved by WTTC, that belong to all of us."

Deborah Flint
President and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

“Airports are one part of many organizations that form the travel and tourism ecosystem, to serve business and humanity’s need to connect. Together, we must work towards recovery from this crisis. That is why collaborating with partners like the WTTC on protocols for the new travel experience is important to us. A standardized approach, led by governments with input from industry, will allow us to ensure all safety measure are in place and is a critical step in building confidence in travellers, governments and ensuring resiliency for our industry.”

Sabina Fluxá Thienemann
CEO, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts

“This crisis has shown the importance of global coordination to overcome the vulnerability of the tourism industry and become more resilient. We cannot work with heterogeneous measures depending on each country: we must face the new scenario with global standards that guarantee the sustainability of our sector. It is very important to keep an eye on the medium and long term, and incorporate health safety as a new pillar of global sustainability. Health and environment will be the key axes of a resilient tourism policy.”

Carlos Muñoz
Managing Director, Hotelbeds

“This important measure not only gives our sector greater clarity on COVID-19 response best practice, it will also give greater confidence to travellers when booking a hotel and thus help the tourism sector recover more quickly. That’s why at Hotelbeds we will back this initiative and additionally are working on including information about this in our distribution for travelers to consider when reserving a hotel.”

Frank Rainieri
Chairman and Founder, Grupo Puntacana

“We have to congratulate the World Travel & Tourism Council for its leadership and publishing these global guidelines for the re-opening of our industry.
This pandemic has done significant damage to the value of our industry and we must lead this process of recovery and ensure people that the hospitality sector is safe with the best operational guidance and protocols to make our sector unique. The WTTC will help to renew the consumer’s confidence in travel which is the most important goal now to every one of us.”

Shirley Tan
Group CEO, Rajawali Property

“Tourism recovery is vital to prevent millions of people from being driven into extreme poverty. Rajawali Property Group, one of the leading hotel investment and development companies in Southeast Asia, fully supports WTTC global initiatives to bring together governments and private sectors to put in place critical global standards and protocols to ensure safe travel, accelerate global tourism recovery, and reshape travel & tourism industry for the future.”

David Peckinpaugh
President, Maritz Global Events

“We are honored to have participated in the co-creation of the WTTC's Protocols for the Meetings & Events industry. At Maritz Global Events, we have always prioritized the well-being of our participants, while always understanding their emotional need for human connections.”

Gordon Wilson
President, WorldReach Software

"The new Global Protocols provide an important framework to facilitate government and industry collaboration via a consistent set of guidelines to restore traveller confidence. The WTTC's Safe Travels & Seamless Traveller Journey initiative have greater urgency and an expanded role due to COVID-19. Health safety becomes a critical factor and combines the previous seamless travel goals with touchless processes, thereby helping the recovery of global travel."

Miguel Leitmann
Chief Executive Officer, Vision-Box

“As a leading forum of the travel and tourism industry, we are fortunate to have WTTC taking an important role in the formulation of trusted and clear travel standards in a post COVID-19 environment. Travel has become such an essential component of our daily lives, whether on business, vacation, or for personal reasons, that I am certain that we will soon be growing and thriving again. In the meantime, Vision-Box works closely with our clients and industry stakeholders to implement touchless identification and contactless clearance solutions that will enhance the safety and security of all travellers and staff members throughout the travel and tourism sector. Moving forward in this unprecedented time, the strength of our ongoing partnership with WTTC is key to recovery and success. Integrity, values and expertise drives our shared commitment to make our world a better place and we look forward to our mutual support, both personally and professionally.”

Zachary Rabinor
Founder, President & CEO, Journey Mexico

“The WTTC has worked diligently to create solid, clear standards to serve as a global industry wide standard for the new post-Pandemic health and safety protocols . It is vital that we collaborate to adopt one set of universally agreed upon protocols to maximize everyone’s health and safety while avoiding duplication of efforts, confusion, and competition along health and safety lines.”

Stacy Ritter
President & CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB

"How destinations present their various tourism products as safe to visitors will be the difference between success and failure. In Greater Fort Lauderdale, we are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Convention Centres, Meetings and Events portion of the WTTC global protocols. Event venues, hotels, restaurants, arts and cultural entities, retail and transportation assets all need to collaborate at unparalleled levels to assure consumers that the entire tourism value chain is safe and secure. A coordinated approach to safety and cleanliness will be the winning formula."

Aileen Clemente
Chairman and CEO, Rajah Travel Corporation Inc

"Restoring travel confidence is a major pillar to the recovery of our industry. Rajah Travel Corporation fully supports the WTTC in its leadership in engaging the private sector for the development of Safe Travel protocols across the value chain. We all benefit from WTTC's strong advocacy with global and national institutions to prioritize travel and tourism in the recovery plans. The WTTC initiatives during this crisis are instrumental in how we re-shape our product offerings, business solutions and service to ensure and promote safe, secure, and seamless experience among our global customers and stakeholders."

Hugo Desenzani
CEO, Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas

"For the first time in recent history we face a shutdown of travel as we know it. Most Countries have closed borders and emptied hotel rooms. The good news is that no pandemic will take away our deeply rooted desire to explore and discover and we will travel again soon. Because a global problem requires a global solution, we fully support the WTTC and their initiative of consistent, global safety guidelines, which will allow our guests to travel and feel safe."

Carlos Berdegue
CEO, El CID Resorts

"We are committed to do what it takes  to secure a great and safe experience for you and your family."

José Chapur
CEO, Palace Resorts

"WTTC has standed as a the “go to instution” in this Pandemic, and is taking the lead on the defining actions the industry has to take, to successfully overcome this problem, by designating worldwide standards both for the well being of our staff members, and as well, for the peace of mind of our clients."

Mr. Lim Boon Kwee
COO, DUSIT

“In the current COVID-19 situation our hospitality industry has been affected, adversely. Post covid-19, we hope to create standards in health, safety, and security, within our industry. Dusit hotels and resorts support WTTC to create these standards, we look forward to inspiring travel again to Dusit hotels and resorts, with convenience, with value and with experience; and we look forward to welcoming our guests back to our properties in the post Covid-19 world. Thank you!”

Enrique Calderón
COO, Posadas

“Thank you WTTC for the invitation and for motivating us as an industry to keep thinking of the future and the importance of our job, it is a pleasure for us to participate in the compelling creation of the hospitality global standards. Thanks to the effort of WTTC of implementing global guidelines and consistency, we can assure to our clients that hospitality will be back soon, thank you and please never stop travel.”