More than 400 destinations around the world now hold the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, with New Zealand, Switzerland, and Oman among the latest major destinations to adopt the globally recognised stamp.

WTTC, which has been continuously leading the private sector in the efforts to rebuild global consumer confidence and encourage the return of safe international travel, made history when it launched the world’s first ever global safety and hygiene stamp just over one year ago.

The stamp, which has been crucial to restoring confidence in travellers and revive the global Travel & Tourism sector, has now also been adopted by major destination countries such as Trinidad & Tobago, Madagascar, Samoa and Réunion Island.

Julia Simpson, president and CEO of WTTC said: “We are delighted that our Safe Travels stamp continues to go from strength to strength and has been adopted by destinations from every corner of the world.

“From Portugal to Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka to Slovenia, Thailand to Tunisia, our stamp is now recognised around the globe. This is testimony to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in making our stamp work for both destinations and holidaymakers. This sets a standard of health and safety protocols so visitors can travel safe in the knowledge that a destination is following the highest standards.”

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report (EIR), in 2019, travel and tourism contributed 10.4% to global GDP and supported 334 million jobs (one in 10 jobs across the world). However, following a year of global lockdowns and closed borders, some 62 million jobs in Travel & Tourism were lost around the world, and the sector’s contribution to global GDP slumped by US$4.5 trillion (-49.1%).