From knowing the latest local health protocols to rebuilding consumer trust and confidence, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have published a set of recommendations designed to help travel and tourism businesses safely re-open in the age of COVID-19.

The organizations note that the pandemic has caused widespread disruptions to global supply chains and businesses of all sizes, not least in the travel and sector due to travel restrictions, declining traveller confidence, and reduced consumer demand.

To that end, the ICC and WTTC have collaborated on the “Quick Restart Guide for Employers” to provide businesses with recommendations for ensuring operational readiness, preparing staff, and limiting risk of exposure to the virus within workplaces.

The guidance was released as part of a virtual meeting between ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton and WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara during which both leaders acknowledged that the travel and tourism sector will need to implement new measures, such as the WTTC Safe Travels protocols, fortify knowledge sharing, and institute careful plans, to ensure that businesses can operate safely in the age of COVID-19.

“With over 150 million travel and tourism jobs lost since the outbreak of COVID-19, more needs to be done to address the challenges faced by these businesses – many of which are SMEs with limited resources,” said Denton. “It’s critical for ICC and our global network to engage with travel and tourism businesses as we work together to reinstate consumer confidence, protect employees and safely re-open our economies.”

Guevara added: “Our guide provides recommendations for businesses around the world, be they large enterprises or SME’s, to ensure employees are able to return to their place of work safely and are in line with WTTC’s Safe Travels protocols.”

The ICC-WTTC guidance is divided into clear categories to help travel and tourism businesses restart their operations safely. From rebuilding trust and confidence with customers to preparing staff returning to workplaces, the guidance provides travel and tourism businesses with a checklist of considerations for reopening.

Other initiatives by the organizations include the ICC AOKpass – a risk mitigation tool that facilitates cross-border travellers to present digitally authenticated and secure medical records to border authorities – and the WTTC Safe Travel Protocols and Stamp, a global safety and hygiene stamp for businesses to promote COVID safety and compliance standards.

Download the Quick restart guide HERE.