London, United Kingdom, May 20, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Council's (WTTC) hugely popular "Safe Travels" seal was launched just twelve months ago and is now recognized in over 275 destinations worldwide. Abu Dhabi, Jersey, and French Polynesia are now among the destinations to have received the world's first global safety and hygiene seal.

The WTTC, which has consistently led the private sector to restore global consumer confidence and promote the return of safe travel, made history when it launched the world's first global safety and hygiene seal just 12 months ago.

The stamp was developed to restore travelers' confidence and revive the global travel and tourism sector, which was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is now used by destinations all over the world, with hotspots Thailand, Barbados, Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan being among the latest to join the ever-growing WTTC list.

The WTTC Safe Travels seal and its global protocols are adopted by more than 200 CEOs from the travel and tourism industry, as well as by many of the world's largest tourism companies.

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the WTTC, said: “We are delighted that our Safe Travels seal is gaining in importance and has been adopted by destinations from all over the world.”

"From Portugal to Puerto Rico, from Sri Lanka to Slovenia, from Tunisia to Tobago – our seal is now recognized around the globe. This is a testament to the hard work that has been done to make the seal useful for both destinations and holidaymakers."

"As global vaccine distribution gains momentum and travel restrictions are gradually eased, we believe the postage stamp will be an important component in the recovery of travel destinations and the restoration of consumer confidence."

"The success of the stamp demonstrates the importance of global coordination in rebuilding and revitalizing the international travel and tourism sector, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."

“However, we are finally beginning to settle into the new normal of a post-COVID-19 world, and we are proud to be playing a leading role in the globally coordinated recovery efforts.”

Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said: “The Tourism Authority of Thailand is pleased that the World Tourism Council (WTTC) has approved the use of the TAT’s ‘Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA)’ logo in conjunction with the WTTC’s ‘Safe Travels’ seal.”

"Together they pursue the common goal of ensuring that all visitors feel safe as Thailand continues to open its tourism industry to international travel in the new normal."

"The Safe Travels seal has been validated by Amazing Thailand SHA and serves to further motivate travel-related businesses in Thailand to maintain their health and safety standards as the country restores traveler confidence while protecting the Thai workforce that serves them."

The protocols for the WTTC Safe Travel Seal were developed based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and taking into account the best practices of WTTC members.