VisitEngland has announced that businesses in the UK registered to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard scheme are now automatically eligible for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) international ‘Safe Travels’ stamp.
The We’re Good To Go Scheme, launched last year by VisitEngland in partnership with the tourism boards of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is a free UK-wide industry standard and consumer mark to reassure your customers that your business adheres to Government and public health guidance.
The scheme has been recognised by WTTC as meeting international global standardised health and hygiene protocols and for its role in supporting the recovery of the UK tourism sector. The protocols for their global Safe Travels stamp were designed with the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines’ and developed alongside leading industry associations and international organisations.
Any business that is not already part of We’re Good To Go can apply to the scheme and choose the option to use the additional global WTTC stamp. Businesses will need to demonstrate that they are adhering to the latest Government and public health guidance, that they have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and that they have the required processes in place to aid social distancing and cleanliness.
VisitBritain CEO Sally Balcombe said, “We are delighted that businesses certified to We’re Good To Go can also automatically register for the WTTC’s global Safe Travels stamp, recognising the standard of protocols and processes we have in place in the UK. This is also testament to the hard work and commitment of tens of thousands of businesses right across the country who have adapted and innovated to safely meet new ways of working and are already ‘good to go’.
“This international stamp sitting alongside our We’re Good To Go mark also serves to reinforce that ‘ring of confidence’ for visitors that UK tourism businesses, attractions and destinations have clear processes in place to welcome them back safely as travel restrictions are lifted.
“Our priority is to support the industry through crisis to recovery and beyond and this is a timely boost for businesses as well as for future inbound visitors, reassuring them that they can plan their trips to the UK with confidence, once we can travel again, and have a great experience when they get here.”
WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said, “We are pleased to see VisitBritain, the tourism agency for one of the world’s most popular destinations, implementing enhanced health and safety measures that are in line with our global protocols, to ensure safe travel, and we are delighted to recognise its efforts through the WTTC Safe Travels stamp.
“The globally recognised stamp enables both business and leisure travellers to distinguish destinations around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so they can experience ‘Safe Travels’, and VisitBritain’s adoption will help to restore consumer confidence.”
From today, Friday 26 February, We’re Good To Go registered businesses in the UK can log into their online account to download the Safe Travels stamp. Any business not already part of We’re Good To Go can apply to the scheme through the usual process and indicate within that application their wish to use the additional global WTTC stamp.
To join the 44,000 businesses across the UK who have already registered as part of your preparation, please visit the website.
