The Kingdom of Eswatini has received the Safe Travels Stamp of approval from the World Travel & Tourism Council for its recently implemented Health & Safety protocols brought in to give travellers the confidence to travel to and around the country as safely as possible when borders re-open.
Known for its rich culture, stunning scenery and thrilling safaris, Eswatini is one of the first destinations in southern Africa to have been awarded the Safe Travels Stamp. It brings the country in line with key tourism destinations around the world in following globally recognised and approved health & safety procedures to allow travel to re-start.
This is a wonderful achievement for this small southern Africa destination.
The Safe Travels stamp is the world’s first ever global safety & hygiene stamp for travel & tourism, designed specifically to address COVID-19 and similar outbreaks. WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, created the Safe Travels stamp to allow travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which have adopted the global standardised health and hygiene 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.
The WTTC Safe Travels Protocols have been welcomed by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and were developed in collaboration with leading industry associations and international organisations, taking into account current guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Eswatini’s own robust procedures were developed by the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) and Hospitality & Tourism Association of Eswatini (HOTAES) based on extensive engagement with the WHO and Eswatini Ministry of Health.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, 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. The WTTC Safe Travels stamp has had astounding success since its launch. This shows the importance of the initiative not only to countries and destinations, but also, crucially, to travellers and the 330 million people around the world whose livelihoods depend on the Travel & Tourism sector. The stamp represents a critical step in rebuilding consumer confidence in Travel & Tourism and allowing travellers to rest easy knowing that enhanced standards of hygiene are in place and they can once again experience ‘Safe Travels’.”
Already proud of its reputation as a welcoming, friendly and safe country, Eswatini has a rich variety of experiences on offer to its visitors that will make it an ideal post-lockdown destination. Much is nature-based and even the cultural attractions are largely open-air. With everything available in a small area (the whole kingdom takes only 2-3 hours to drive across), this means there is no need to spend lots of time indoors or cooped up in vehicles. And, for those wary of chopping and changing accommodation every day or two, it’s fine to stay in just one lodge or hotel, yet still enjoy all the diverse experiences around the country.
In welcoming the WTTC Stamp for Eswatini, Minister of Tourism, Hon Moses Vilakati said:
“Eswatini is pleased join other destinations in being part of the globally recognised WTTC Safe travels protocols and we applaud the initiative by WTTC. These protocols will ensure consistency in tourist expectations and experience globally. Eswatini has put safety as a priority, as we adapt to the new normal. I would like to thank WTTC, Eswatini Tourism Authority and the Tourism Industry of Eswatini for collaborating in reaching this key milestone. Implementation of these protocols is part of our message to tourist far and wide that Eswatini is open for tourism business, we are ready to receive tourists warmly and safely to the Kingdom of Eswatini.”
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