Kenya Awarded Safe Travel Status by WTTC
Nairobi, Kenya, July 1, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Kenya on Wednesday has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp in recognition of the destination’s adoption of the global health and hygiene standardized protocols dubbed ‘Safe Travels‘.
Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife said Kenya has been listed among the 80 global destinations certified and authorized to use the “World Travel and Tourism Council Safe Travel Stamp” together with Magical Kenya Logo.
“This recognition is timely as Kenya prepares to reopen the tourism and hospitality industry after months of closure. This stamp will allow travelers to recognize Kenya as a safe destination once we reopen and implement the health and safety protocols,” he said.
WTTC, which was founded in 1990 and headquartered in London, represents the global private sector of travel and tourism, with a mission to ensure the sector is seamless, secure and safe.
Kenya also launched the WHO-endorsed health and safety protocols to support the reopening of the tourism sector.
“The objectives of the protocols are to inculcate institutional operational and staff preparedness to ensure service provision that meets WHO guidelines and Kenya’s ministry of health measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Najib Balala told a media briefing on Wednesday in Nairobi.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the sector remains the third-largest contributor to the country’s GDP after agriculture and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the tourism and travel sector is one of the worst-hit globally following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Balala noted that the protocols require all tourist accommodation, food and beverage outlets to institutes a Food Safety Management System to prevent contamination to clients, staff and supply chain workers.
He noted that tourism practitioners will also be obliged to redesign the physical workspace and work processes to ensure compliance with the physical distancing of not less than 1.5 meters apart and institute hygiene operations, sanitation and minimized contact between persons.
The official said all tourism and hospitality establishments, facilities and enterprises are now expected to develop and implement documented standard operating procedures for handling suspected COVID-19 cases and ensure patient confidentiality and prevent stigmatization of the affected persons.