The Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) issued biosafety protocols verification stamps to 16 tourism companies in the areas of food, accommodation, information, transportation and recreation, as a guarantee that the established norms are applied to prevent COVID-19 infections.
“The coronavirus has not gone away and we have to continue training. These stamps guarantee tourists that we are truly prepared, ”said the Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez.
The seal delivered to the companies is part of the National Program for Tourism with Biosafety and Quality, promoted by MITUR and executed by the Salvadoran Organization for Standardization (OSN).
The implementation of biosecurity measures has become a key factor for good business practices, which provides confidence to customers and an ideal environment for the growth of companies.
“We have a great challenge, tourism is the sector most affected worldwide, it is estimated that it will recover in 2023. We will only overcome this if the entire value chain of the tourism sector comes together,” said Valdez.
For her part, the director of the OSN, Yanira Colindres, stressed that El Salvador is the only country in the region to carry out this process. “Nobody in Central America is doing it the way it is being applied in El Salvador. Feel proud to be part of this initiative ”, he said.
The OSN developed, at the request of MITUR and the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation (CORSATUR), seven biosecurity documents for certification. The entrepreneurs took the training provided by the NSO and applied the measures established to obtain the seal.
“I congratulate them, because their effort is reflected today in the certificates that we are going to deliver,” said Colindres, adding that the work of the OSN is precisely to develop technical standards and carry out certification processes.
One of the favored businesswomen in the accommodation sector, Carmen García Prieto, said: “The importance of the seal when opening the doors to guests is their safety and that of the country. We want to keep the country and tourism alive for everyone ”.
For her part, Maritza Ortíz, from the transportation and travel agencies category, stated: “It is a hallmark, not only for us, but for the country. The more we show that we are prepared to receive tourists, the more doors will open for us ”.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government began a series of efforts with businessmen in the tourism sector to prepare for a resumption of operations. Since August 24, 2020, the date on which the economy reopened, companies have applied the eight biosafety protocols developed together with MITUR and the OSN to guarantee a safe reopening.
These measures were evaluated by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, for its acronym in English), which extended the Safe Destination seal to the country, which guarantees international tourists that the establishments put health measures into practice. to ensure your well-being.
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