- Committee to review Airport Opening Protocol
- Final decision from Ministry of Health
SLTDA Chairwoman Kimarli Fernando[/caption]
With several countries announcing that they are approving vaccinations developed for Covid-19 prevention and that the first batch of citizens are to receive the vaccination early next year, the Tourism Ministry and the SLTDA is hopeful that this will once again allow international travel to resume, in the first quarter of 2021.
Speaking to The Morning, SLTDA Chairwoman Kimarli Fernando stated: “We are still looking to open airports in January. However, tourism is not the decision maker as it’s a health pandemic and hence, await feedback from the Ministry of Health on the protocol that was prepared with the input of health officials.”
Fernando noted that the health guidelines which were issued in June this year still stand to be valid, and reiterated the importance of having strict health protocols to ensure the safety, not only of Sri Lankans but also international travellers.
“We believe that all institutions that are eagerly waiting to reopen their doors to international tourists had ample time to adapt to the given guidelines and were able to put it into practice when Sri Lankans were travelling to such destinations during these months,” Fernando opined.
She added that Sri Lanka Tourism was one of the first in the Asian region to prepare and issue a comprehensive Covid-19 Health Protocol for the industry which was developed and issued with the support of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the input of the industry.
Following the feedback that SLTDA received from their stakeholders, they have updated these guidelines accordingly.
“We have to date certified 92 establishments; accommodation providers and tour operators, with the Safe and Secure Certification to service and accommodate international tourists for the first 14 days. We would continue to audit and award certifications in the coming weeks,” Fernando explained.
Moreover, the following steps are in place to ensure the health and safety of travellers, both foreign and local, who will be accessing services in the tourism industry.
Global recognition: Sri Lanka received the Safe Travel Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council, reflective of the sound protocol implemented by Sri Lanka Tourism. This includes the independent auditing firm KPMG’s “Safe and Secure Certification” that provides global travellers the comfort and confidence that Sri Lanka has taken all the necessary steps to ensure safety.
The audits are conducted free of charge for first-time certification where the costs are being borne by the SLTDA. Auditing and certification are stringent, as it should be, to ensure high health and safety standards, in line with other countries in the region. Considering the nature of the virus, compromises can be dangerous.
QR code: Certification includes a QR code that will permit guests to provide feedback on health and safety protocols being followed by their hotel and service provider, which will enable continuous assessment, besides inspection by the public health inspectors and regional health officers.
Awareness and training: Several training sessions were conducted on pandemic preparedness for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) designed and rolled out together with S4IG Australia. Covid-19 guidelines training was conducted, partnering Market Development Facility (MDF) Australia and The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL). Pandemic preparedness for SMEs was designed and rolled out with the support of the Asian Development Bank.
The SLTDA suggests that all relevant associations arrange similar training programmes for their members and the SLTDA is willing to support by providing a trainer who is familiar with the guidelines.
Airport Opening Protocol: A detailed Airport Opening Protocol has been developed in the last several months and presented to the Minister of Health. Another committee was appointed on 4 December to review the protocol, which would possibly delay the opening of airports.
“In conclusion, as this is a health pandemic, we are guided by the health officials and are hence unable at the moment to dilute the health protocols, unless of course the Ministry of Health gives us covering approval to relax the health and safety protocols. Meanwhile, we will continue to support our stakeholders to ensure the safety of all and reach out to support you to thrive in the new normal that we face at this time,” Fernando stated.