A HEALTH Assurance Stamp is soon to be issued to stakeholders in the tourism sector to verify that a particular facility is adhering to Covid-19 protocols and the two international airports in Trinidad and Tobago have also received special accreditation.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts issued a press release on Friday stating that while 2020 was indeed an extremely difficult year for tourism, all measures were being put in place to ensure that those involved in the industry were equipped with the necessary tools to welcome visitors to destination Trinidad and Tobago once again.
The ministry stated that the Piarco and Crown Point International Airports have achieved accreditation through Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme.
“This accreditation has been awarded to both airports in recognition of the health and safety measures implemented for the protection of travellers, employees and users of the airport from the spread of Covid-19,” the ministry stated.
Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell said, “The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts has compiled health protocols and guidelines with inputs from the Ministry of Health, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) so that various stakeholders can entertain visitors safely and with all protocols in place. Approximately 150 stakeholders were trained by CARPHA facilitated through Tourism Trinidad Limited on October 14 and given guidance on how to obtain their Health Assurance Stamp for Healthier Safer Tourism.”
The ministry stated that the Health Assurance Stamp will be issued to stakeholders throughout the Caribbean and accredits tourism operators through the wider Tourism and Health Information System. The stamp is a means of verifying that tourism entities and destinations are implementing and adhering to Covid-19 health monitoring and safety measures.
Mitchell believes that such international accreditation is in line with the overall preparations by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and its agency Tourism Trinidad Limited to ensure that all visitor touch points are considered from the time a visitor boards a plane to when he lands, leaves the airport, stays at a hotel, visits a restaurant or goes on a tour.
