Boracay Island Receives World ‘Safe Travels’ Stamp

Boracay Island receives the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp acknowledging its globalize health and safety protocols for tourism.  

The WTTC Safe Travels Stamp is the world’s first safety and hygiene stamp for travelers to recognize governments and businesses that have adopted global health standardized protocols

Last March, DOT Western Visayas Regional Director Cristine Mansinares issued the certificate and hailed the island as a “touchless economy” because of its rigorous contact tracing.  

IMAGE from the Department of Tourism 

“It is good news that we welcome because this will also boost the confidence of our travelers, especially our international tourists later on when we reopen to our international markets,” Mansinares said. 

Meanwhile, Tourism Chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat continues to campaign safe travel for all. Recently, tourism workers under the A4 category were vaccinated on the island. 

“Keeping our tourism workers and tourists safe will be a great leap forward in our ongoing quest to get the tourism industry back on its feet. Bringing tourists back to Boracay, the country’s tourism crown jewel, in a safe and sustainable manner is a critical part of the plan,” Puyat said.  

IMAGE from the Department of Tourism 

The hotels in the island such as Le Soleil de Boracay, Discovery Shores Boracay, Shangri-la’s Boracay Resort, Hue Boracay, Wald’s Place, Amable Suites, Lime Hotel, The Lind Boracay, Movenpick Resort & Spa Boracay, Villa Caemilla Beach Boutique Hotel, and Belmont Hotel Boracay also received the global stamp for tourism. Aside from Boracay, Baguio City was the first one to receive a world-safe travel stamp.

On the other hand, Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores was glad to share the good news: citing the huge increase of tourists this year. 

He said arrivals reached around 11,000 in January 2021, with the highest at 26,354 recorded last month. From July 1 to 7, the number is also nearing 7,000.

Puyat added that the key is to get vaccinated, especially the tourism players not only on the island but also for other tourist spots in the country.   

“We want out tourism front-liners to be vaccinated kasi kahit na RT-PCR pa ‘yan or whatever, they need to be protected, kasi ang tagal na nilang walang hanapbuhay kung magkasakit sila kawawa naman (even if it’s RT-PCR or whatever, they need to be protected, they lost their jobs for so long, we need them protected),” she ended.