Africa-Press-Ethiopia<\/p>\n
ETHIOPIA IS the latest destination to be awarded the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp \u2013 the world\u2019s first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp \u2013 following major steps implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism last year to ensure safety for residents, travellers, and workers and businesses in the tourism value chain, as Ethiopia reopened its borders to international visitors.<\/p>\n
Ethiopia is among 200 other major popular holiday hot spots around the world such as Kenya, Turkey, Portugal, Argentina, Tunisia, and Indonesia, who together are using the stamp to reassure travellers and restore confidence to travel.<\/p>\n
WTTC, which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, created the Safe Travels Stamp in May 2020, to allow travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which have adopted the global standardised health and hygiene protocols. The globally recognised Stamp has also helped revive the global travel and tourism sector, which has been left devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has also welcomed the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp, which places the safety and hygiene of travellers as a top priority.<\/p>\n
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, said: \u201cEthiopia is an incredibly important destination, and is becoming more popular each year. Last year, travel and tourism supported 1.96 million jobs in the country and contributed nearly 6.7% of the country\u2019s total GDP, which shows just how important its Travel and Tourism sector will be the country\u2019s economic recovery, once the COVID-19 pandemic has been combatted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are pleased to see Ethiopia\u2019s Ministry of Tourism implementing a number of enhanced health and safety measures, in line with our global protocols, to ensure safe travel, and we are delighted to recognise their efforts through the WTTC Safe Travels stamp.\u201d<\/p>\n
H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia who is also chairman of the Ethiopian Tourism Board, said: \u201cWe are extremely honoured to be issued the Safe Travels stamp by the WTTC and commend them for this important initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis decision reflects Ethiopia\u2019s commitment to maintaining the standard safe travel protocols and procedures as we reopen our doors to tourism and international visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the aim of ensuring the safety of workers and visitors, we will continue to work closely with tour operators, hotels, and regional destination marketing organisations to maintain these standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith new reforms underway to transform Ethiopia\u2019s economy by making tourism a priority sector, the Ethiopian government is focusing on new forms of tourism \u2013 MICE tourism, sports tourism, stopover tourism, and ecotourism \u2013 in addition to others, as part of efforts to make Ethiopia one of the top five tourist destinations in Africa. Efforts are also underway to further enhance Ethiopia\u2019s cultural wealth and natural attractions.\u201d<\/p>\n
H.E. Dr. Hirut Kassaw, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sport said: \u201cTourism is a strategic priority for the government and significantly contributes to the development of our national economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have created a partnership with the private sector and responded quickly on COVID-19 safety measures. With the current success in obtaining the safe travel stamp, I am confident that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of tourists and destinations nationwide. We are now ready to welcome tourists to visit Ethiopia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sileshi Girma, the CEO of Tourism Ethiopia said: \u201cWith health and safety issues at the forefront of the travel and tourism sector, our destinations and industry operators are now well prepared and have implemented safety protocols.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of the WTTC guidelines, the industry operators must maintain delivery of appropriate safety measures. Past experiences show that tourists are keen to resume travelling and we need to restart tourism now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Teferi Melesse Desta said: \u201cReceiving the WTTC stamp of approval is a strong testament to the government\u2019s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for residents and tourists as we welcome international visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a major boost for the sector and will help with efforts in rebuilding confidence in travellers in this \u2018new normal\u2019 of the COVID-19 world.<\/p>\n
\u201cEthiopia is an ancient country whose unique cultural heritage, rich history, and remarkable biodiversity is reflected in a tally of 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites \u2013 more than any other country in Africa \u2013 and 4 under UNESCO\u2019s lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdd to this, spectacular landscapes, and a wealth of mammals and birds found nowhere else in the world, make Ethiopia one of the most attractive and popular emergent tourist destinations in Africa. I, therefore, invite you to visit Ethiopia to discover why we are the \u2018Land of Origins\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Africa-Press-Ethiopia ETHIOPIA IS the latest destination to be awarded the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp \u2013 the world\u2019s first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp \u2013 following major steps implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism last year to ensure safety for residents, travellers, and workers and businesses in the tourism […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":1939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[241,263],"class_list":["post-2765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-africa-press-ethiopia","tag-who"],"yoast_head":"\n