Kenya has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Safe Travel Stamp.

This is in recognition of the destination’s adoption of the global health and hygiene standardized protocols dubbed ‘Safe Travels.’

The announcement was made by the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala during the unveiling of the Magical Kenya travel & tourism health and safety guidelines and protocols.

This recognition is timely as Kenya prepares to reopen the tourism and hospitality industry after months of closure.

To meet this recognition, Kenya sent the protocols drafted by National Tourism and Hospitality Protocols Taskforce to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for validation.

This is in line with the global reopening of Tourism and Travel Protocols.

“I am delighted to announce that 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 our Magical Kenya Logo,” said Balala.

Balala noted that the stamp will allow travelers to recognize Kenya as a safe destination once we reopen and implement the health and safety protocols.

The tourism and travel sector is undoubtedly one of the worst hit globally following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Arising from the pandemic the tourism and wildlife sectors are experiencing unprecedented health and social economic crisis.

Locally, the crisis has crippled the industry due to the movement restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of the virus.

“The Protocols we have launched today will provide guidance for the tourism sector’s reopening as we look to actualize the tourism recovery initiatives that have been facilitated by the government going forward,” said Balala.

“I appreciate the National Tourism and Hospitality Protocols Taskforce for developing this document that will form a basis for proper reopening of the sector.”

The protocols will seek to achieve institutional, operational and staff preparedness to ensure service provision meets required guidelines aimed at preventing spread of COVID-19.

They will also ensure a safe experience for visitors, rebuild trust and confidence, and implement enabling policies and guidelines thus provide a step by step process of a careful reopening and restart of business in the tourism sector.