MORE hotels and resorts in popular tourist destinations such as Boracay, Palawan, and Cebu have been given the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), marking them as compliant to global standard health protocols.
“Now that the country’s vaccination program is in full swing, we anticipate that parallel initiatives across the globe will hasten the resumption of international travel. As early as now, we need to prepare our facilities and destinations to be visitor-ready, with health and safety as key concerns,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said during the virtual awarding ceremony on April 21.
The new batch of 33 Safe Travels-accredited establishments include 16 in Cebu and Bohol, nine in Palawan, three in Boracay, two in Dipolog City, and one each in the cities of Baguio, Zamboanga, and Davao.
Five other establishments in Metro Manila and two in Baguio have earlier been given the stamp.
The Philippines, through the Department of Tourism, received its accreditation from the global council in Sept. 20.
“In March, we received more than 100 applications coming from the different regions… This surge of interest is reflective of their readiness to adopt to the new normal and desire to be globally recognized as a fun and ‘safe travels’ facility,” Ms. Puyat said.
A full list of the WTTC-marked establishments may be accessed through the Tourism department’s official site, tourism.gov.ph. — MSJ