The State of Yucatán received the “Travel Safety Stamp” from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) for its adoption of new protocols to protect the health of travelers.

The seal will give tourists confidence in the high standards of hygiene and sanitation in the state’s travel and tourism industry.

Globally recognized destinations that have also received the WTTC stamp include Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Turkey, Bulgaria, Jamaica, Mauritius, Barcelona and Seville in Spain, and Ontario, Canada.

Gloria Guevara Manzo, President and CEO of the WTTC, stressed that Travel Safety Stamp has the support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and more than 200 CEOs of the main business groups in the sector around the world.

“The number of global destinations that have adopted our protocols is growing at an accelerated rate; it is very gratifying and shows the success and importance of the Travel Safety Stamp,” she said. “This recognition is vital to restore consumer confidence around the world in the travel and tourism sector.

“Travelers can be sure that hygiene standards exist so that they can visit destinations safely,” she added.

Guevara Manzo said the State of Yucatán is a privileged destination that offers visitors a unique travel experience, due to its heritage of ancient Mayan culture and archaeological sites, natural beauty and traditions, as well as its internationally recognized gastronomy.

Mauricio Vila Dosal, Governor of the State of Yucatán, said that “our state is already a benchmark in terms of security and good practices. We now seek to be a benchmark in biosecurity issues for tourism and we are very pleased to receive the ‘Travel Safety Stamp’ from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).”

The Governor stressed that the state is preparing properly to receive visitors, who can be assured that the endorsed tourist establishments are applying strict hygiene measures in all their processes and facilities.

State Tourism Minister Michelle Fridman Hirsch highlighted that “tourism has changed dramatically since this historic episode; in this new stage of post-Covid-19 tourism, the certainty that we can provide visitors in terms of best sanitary practices will play a fundamental role in travel decisions.”

“By acquiring the certification, we make sure that each company generates a Crisis Management Team, which will learn a model of prevention of the spread of infections with scientific validity, thus achieving a culture of health quality,” she continued.

Destinations that have received the ‘Travel Safety Stamp’ comply with the WTTC protocols, which were designed following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and in close collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Airport Council (ACI) and the International Association of Cruise Lines (CLIA) to guarantee alignment throughout the sector.

It should be noted that in 2019, tourism contributed 10.3% to world GDP, was responsible for generating one in four of the world's new jobs and, for nine consecutive years, outpaced the growth of the world economy in general.