WTTC encourages travellers to use face masks in new “Wear to Care” campaign
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon all travellers to don protective face masks to show they ‘wear to care’. As countries transition from lockdowns to reopening their borders, the wearing of face masks helps signal the return of safer travels, while also providing personal protection for users as well as those around them.
WTTC’s call favouring mandatory mask wearing comes from evidence that countries which are recovering faster from COVID-19 are those where the use of face masks have been widely enforced and encouraged.
Following medical guidance from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, WTTC advised wearing masks on all forms of transport throughout the entire traveller journey, as well as when visiting any interior venue or those with restricted movement which results in close personal contact of two metres or less.
WTTC has asked governments around the globe to enforce the wearing of face masks, as well as enlisting the support of the private sector to remind customers of their obligations to protect their health and that of fellow travellers.
Travellers around the world are being encouraged to join in the WTTC social media campaign which is launching with the hashtag #wear2care. Embracing the use of face masks will reduce the risk of transmission, protect the user and those around them, as well as reintroduce a sense of normality.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and CEO, said: “The safety and hygiene of travellers and those who work in travel & tourism is of paramount importance, which is why we now strongly recommend masks being mandatory. ‘Wear to care’ promotes the protection of face mask users and visibly shows they care about the welfare and safety of their fellow travellers, which will help save lives and encourage the return of safe travels.”