The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has certified the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification programme to be on par with the WTTC SafeTravels global health and hygiene standardised protocols.
WTTC’s approval of the Amazing Thailand SHA certification in alignment with the WTTC SafeTravels protocols is testament to Thailand’s effective health and hygiene standards that have over the year placed the kingdom among the best in the world for the ongoing COVID-19 recovery effort.
Also, WTTC’s approval means that Thai stakeholders who have been awarded the Amazing Thailand SHA certificate will be endorsed to display both the WTTC SafeTravels and Amazing Thailand SHA logos in their respective place of business.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “TAT is honoured that WTTC has recognised the Amazing Thailand SHA certification programme to be on par with the WTTC SafeTravels global health and hygiene standardised protocols. This elevates the Thai safety brand to an international level, at a time when Thailand speeds up the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme and continues to reopen for international travellers in the new normal.”
Mr. Yuthasak added, “We would like to thank the WTTC for acknowledging the high standards of the Amazing Thailand SHA and its comprehensive health, safety and hygiene protocols required for certification, which is a part to prove Thailand is a trusted destination and are backed up by regular audits to ensure ongoing compliance.”
While the WTTC SafeTravels stamp is a tourism specific programme, the Amazing Thailand SHA is used to assess 10 types of business; namely, restaurants and diners; hotels, accommodation and homestays; recreational activities and tourist attractions; transportation; travel agencies; health and beauty; department stores and shopping centres; sports for tourism; activities and meetings, theatres and entertainment, and souvenir shops and other shops.
From May 2020, until present, more than 8,000 businesses and entrepreneurs across the country have been awarded the Amazing Thailand SHA certificate. The certification is valid for two years, and all certified establishments and entrepreneurs are subject to a two-part audit programme to ensure the continued compliance: a random inspection by the Safety Standards Audit Committee and a Voice of Customer (VOC) user satisfaction survey.
The Amazing Thailand SHA certification is a result of the public-private sector cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, TAT, Ministry of Public Health (Department of Disease Control, Department of Health and Department of Health Service Support), as well as tourism-related government and private sector organisations.
Mr. Yuthasak added, “Placing the WTTC SafeTravels stamp alongside the Amazing Thailand SHA certificate will further reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to prepare the Thai tourism industry for the recovery period post-COVID-19 pandemic and enhance confidence among international and domestic tourists.”
Both the Amazing Thailand SHA and WTTC SafeTravels programmes feature protocols that are consistent with an increased focus on health, hygiene, reducing physical contact, while also respecting social distancing across all travel and tour functions.
The WTTC SafeTravels stamp is based on the current World Health Organisation (WHO) and United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which are updated on a regular basis as new COVID-19 information becomes available.
Thailand is slowly reopening to international visitors backed by strict COVID-19 prevention and control protocols. The kingdom recently began COVID-19 vaccination nationwide, including in main tourist destinations.
