The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has given seven more countries its coveted ‘Safe Travels Stamp’, including popular tourist hot spots like Thailand and Barbados. Bangkok Jack



The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has given seven more countries its coveted 'Safe Travels Stamp', including popular tourist hot spots like Thailand and Barbados.

The WTTC Safe Travel Stamp

The Safe Travel Stamp was launched 12 months ago to help restore confidence in travelers and revive the global travel and tourism sector, which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the WTTC, the sector suffered a loss of almost US$4.5 trillion last year. They have been heavily advocating for the resumption of safe international travel to help the industry recover.

The stamp is the world's first-ever global safety and hygiene label, taking into account health and safety guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It allows travelers to easily recognize governments and companies worldwide that have adopted the SafeTravels health and hygiene global standardized protocols to help them plan safe travels in a post-Covid world.

The stamp has been embraced by more than 200 Travel & Tourism CEOs and many of the world's major tourism groups.

Since launching, the stamp has been given to more than 275 destinations around the world.

7 More Countries Given the Safe Travel Stamp

This weekend, the WTTC announced that Thailand, Barbados, Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan are among the latest to join the ever-growing list.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said:

"We are delighted that our Safe Travels stamp continues to grow from strength to strength and has been adopted by destinations from all corners of the world.

"From Portugal to Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka to Slovenia, Tunisia to Tobago, our stamp is now recognised around the globe, which is testimony to the hard work which has been put in to make the stamp work for both destinations and holidaymakers.

"As the global vaccine rollout picks up pace around the world and with travel restrictions beginning to be relaxed, we believe the stamp will prove a key component of destination recovery and restoring consumer confidence.

"The success of the stamp shows the importance of global coordination to help rebuild and revive the international Travel & Tourism sector which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"However, we are finally beginning to step into the new normal of a post-COVID world, and we are proud to be leading the way for globally coordinated efforts in recovery."

Thailand Among Countries Added to Safe Travel List

One country travelers may be happy to know got added to the list is Thailand. The popular Southeast Asia destination has suffered a massive hit to its tourism industry due to Covid restrictions but recently announced a reopening plan to foreign tourists.

They are planning to drop the quarantine for popular destinations in July, which should help restart tourism along with the safe travel stamp.

Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand, said:

"The Tourism Authority of Thailand is delighted that the World Travel & Tourism Council has approved the use of the TAT's Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) logo in tandem with the WTTC Safe Travels stamp.

"Together, they share a common objective to ensure that all visitors feel safe, as Thailand continues to open its tourism industry to international travel in the new normal.

"The Safe Travels stamp has reaffirmed the Amazing Thailand SHA and serves to further motivate travel-related enterprises in Thailand to maintain their health and safety standards, as the country rebuilds traveller confidence while also protecting the Thai workforce that serves them."

If you are interested in visiting Thailand right now, here's a step-by-step guide.