The countries follow Turkey; Portugal, Kenya, Mauritius, Tunisia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Dubai in joining the Safe Travels Stamp initiative, which helps travellers identify destinations using standardised health and hygiene protocols.
The hygiene measures used by the scheme were devised following the experience of WTTC members dealing with Covid-19 and based on guidelines from the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ecuador received its stamp following government announcement that will see international travellers arriving with a negative test taken within the previous 10 days exempt from its 14-day isolation.
Croatia’s minister of tourism and sports, Nikolina Brnjac, said the country was “doing our best to face all difficulties and to secure stability and safety for the local population and for all the travellers who have decided to visit us this year, despite the current circumstances”.
"To make the new normal possible, we have gone to great lengths to prepare the necessary safety-protocols and measures,” she said.
“We sincerely believe that aligning with the WTTC global protocols will be the next important step in securing and stabilising not only the current season but will also represent another important next step for the sustainable and smart future development of this very important economic sector.”
WTTC president and chief executive, Gloria Guevara, said: “Our Safe Travels Stamp continues to go from strength to strength and we are delighted to see even more popular countries and destinations from all corners of the world adopt our global health and hygiene protocols.
“The continued success of the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp demonstrates its importance not only to countries, destinations and businesses around the world, but crucially travellers, and the millions of people around the world who work in and depend on, a thriving travel and tourism sector.
“The stamp is critical to re-establish consumer confidence in our sector and ensure travellers can rest assured that enhanced standards of hygiene are in place and they can once again experience safe travels.”
