Airports get covid19 safety accreditation

BOTH Piarco and Crown Point International airports were recently accredited for steps taken against the spread of covid19, in a boost to the goal of re-starting TT’s tourism sector, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell said in a statement on Friday.

The award came via the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme of the Airports Council International (ACI).

“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 covid19,” Mitchell said.

He said the accreditation matches the goal of his ministry and its agency Tourism Trinidad Limited to consider all visitor touch points “From the time a visitor boards a plane to when he/she lands, leaves the airport, stays at a hotel, visits a restaurant or goes on a tour.”

Helping the ministry set the protocols were the Ministry of Health, the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, the Airports Authority, the Port Authority and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha.)

The desired result is for various stakeholders to be able to entertain visitors safely with all protocols in place. Mitchell said about 150 stakeholders were trained by Carpha, facilitated by Tourism Trinidad Limited on October 14.

They were advised on how to obtain their Health Assurance Stamp for healthier safer tourism which is issued 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 covid19 health monitoring and safety measures.”

The statement said the ministry was committed to restarting the tourism sector and for visitor arrivals returning to the growth path experienced in January and February.

Mitchell concluded, “While 2020 has been a difficult year for tourism, all measures are being put in place to ensure stakeholders are equipped with the necessary tools to welcome visitors to destination Trinidad and Tobago once again.”