PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad–Senator Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts is pleased that both Piarco and Crown Point International Airports in Trinidad and Tobago have achieved accreditation through Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) program.
This accreditation has been awarded to both airports in recognition of the health and safety measures implemented for the protection of travelers, employees and users of the airport from the spread of Covid-19.
Mitchell believes that such international accreditation is in line with the overall preparations by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and its agency Tourism Trinidad Limited to ensure that all visitor touch points are considered from the time a visitor boards a plane to when he lands, leaves the airport, stays at a hotel, visits a restaurant or goes on a tour.
Mitchell says, “the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts has compiled health protocols and guidelines with inputs from the Ministry of Health, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) so that various stakeholders can entertain visitors safely and with all protocols in place.”
Mitchell also said that “approximately 150 stakeholders were trained by CARPHA facilitated through Tourism Trinidad Limited on October 14th and given guidance on how to obtain their Health Assurance Stamp for Healthier Safer Tourism.”
The Health Assurance Stamp will be issued to stakeholders 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 COVID-19 health monitoring and safety measures.
Mitchell believes that while 2020 has been a very difficult year for the tourism industry, all measures are being put in place to ensure that stakeholders are equipped with the necessary tools to welcome visitors to destination Trinidad and Tobago once again.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts remains committed to restarting the sector and returning visitor arrivals to the growth path experienced in January and February 2020.
