Magical Kenya became an even more magical travel destination today. Kenya became the first country in the world to be honored with the Safer Tourism Seal
Najib Balala, a proud Kenya Minister of Tourism, serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism in the Republic of Kenya said: “I am touched with this recognition. I am thrilled to receive such an important award, the Safer Tourism Seal. On behalf of my country, the people of Kenya, and for me personally, we’re very grateful. All the people who work in the travel and tourism sector in Kenya deserve this award. It has not been easy. Not only in Kenya but anywhere in the world. We have to be optimistic, positive and think out of the box. We need to realize, we live with COVID-19 as a new normal.”
Dr. Peter Tarlow of Safer Tourism told Minister Balala: “It’s with tremendous pride that we provide you with the Safer Tourism Seal. It doesn’t just speak highly of you, but it speaks highly of Kenya. Kenya is a very special place where people truly care. You are a symbol of this.”
Hon. Najib Balala, Kenya
Former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai referred to the “Rediscover The Magic of Kenya” video. The message in this video is: “While you stay at home, we’re cleaning our environment. There is no conflict because of COVID-19, we make our tourism product better.”
Minister Balala responded in saying: “When I grow up I wanted to be like Taleb Rifai, and I wanted to say thank you- you inspire me. I grew up in this industry and started when I was 20 years old. I am now serving my president and Kenya for 10 years in this position, and times are tough. I would have not been able to do what we do without my team, my deputy, the private sector in Kenya, and the many people working in this industry. I also want to thank the African Tourism Board. ”
“Tourism, nature, and the environment go hand in hand. Since January we count for 35 new Rino babies. We had not one poached Rino this year
Kenya counted 170 Elephant babies since January. Now we created a naming ceremony for all animals and created funding to conserve wildlife. We do everything to protect wildlife. Not because it belongs to Kenya, but it really belongs to humanity in the world. “
Former minister of Tourism Alain St. Ange from Seychelles is currently in a race to become the next president of his island republic. He told Minister Balala:
“I like to use this opportunity to congratulate Minister Najib Balala and Kenya for being the first country to receive the Safer Tourism Seal. This was not easy and it shows how the dedication of one person in charge of tourism can turn into the dedication of an entire country. This achievement is an important step for Kenya and the entire region.
Seychelles and Kenya are good neighbors, 2 1/2 hours flight away. In the Spirit of togetherness, the Safertourism Seal is a seal of resilience.”
Deepak Joshi, former CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board said: “Thanks to Peters hard work in the technical details and Juergen to build this excellent and amazing platform, the Safer Tourism Seal will inspire many other destinations wanting to get the seal and work together.”
Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman of the African Tourism Board said: “It’s an honor to be one of the first to congratulate the Hon. Minister Balala for embracing the Safer Tourism Seal. It shows resilience in Kenya. I was carried away when watching buffalos crossing the mighty river in the documentation on Kenya and I started to understand what resilience is. Tourism remains and will remain a resilient sector, especially as we are setting the paste in opening our borders again for tourism. Hon. Minister, you have become a beacon of hope not only for your country but for the continent as a whole. We like to acknowledge and congratulate you and as the African Tourism Board are 100% behind you.”
Cuthbert was echoed by Dr. Walter Mzembi, head of the Project Hope Safety committee and former minister of tourism for Zimbabwe.
Dr. Peter Tarlow answered questions in regards to the Safer Tourism Seal:
What is the Safer Tourism Seal?
The Seal is an important statement. There is no one in the world that can guarantee 100% safety for visitors, but we can work hard to provide the best safety and security we can. When awarding the seal, besides safety and security, we also look at the reputation, we look at health.
We’re living in a radical and fast-changing world. Fortunately, Kenya has a very low rate of COVID-19 infections compared to the population. of 59 million.
Kenya is doing everything humanly possible to create a sense of caring. Almost 60 million people are backing these efforts in Kenya.
The Kenya minister of tourism represents this.
How can one check if showing the Seal is legitimate?
It can be checked easily. All seal holders are listed on www.safertourismseal.com
Everyone who cares about this sector should apply for the seal and showcase it proudly if awarded.
It is the same with the Tourism Resilience Pass for the traveler. Passholders are tourists. Carrying the pass translates into a simple message: It’s a message of caring and obeying the restrictions in place when visiting a destination, staying in a hotel, or flying on an aircraft, and visiting an attraction.
How to apply?
It’s easy to join and make the commitment. The seal can be based on verifiable self-assessment or by endorsement and evaluation. The latter includes an independent report provided by the safer tourism team under the leadership of Dr. Peter Tarlow.
Dr. Tarlow explains: “We are part of the rebuilding.travel conversation and the resilience.travel network , started by safer tourism and the TravelNewsGroup.”
We are not affiliated with WTTC UNWTO ASTA, PATA, ATB, or any other association. Of course, we look at such leaders and use some of their policies and experiences to understand the commitment our applicants can demonstrate.
We also look at other licensing or certifications our applicant may have obtained. Anyone committed to safety, security, wanting to build a better travel and tourism experience can apply for the Travel Tourism Seal.
We are not here to guarantee, to judge but to inform based on the information available. We are a grassroots organization. We are a group of people with common sense coming together. It’s not about giving someone a grade.
It’s about a country, hotel, attractions are telling the world: “We are committed!” We are recognizing this commitment with the seal. Commitments often start with integrity.
Juergen Steinmetz, co-founder of the Seal said: “The Safer Tourism Seal is a confidence-building measure for both the traveler, the destination, and its stakeholders. The seal is for travel businesses with a story to tell. We will communicate such stories to the world.”
