WTTC calls for masks to be made compulsory for all travel
New campaign spearheaded by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) pushes for enhanced safety measures as travel returns to normal
While coronavirus is far from over, many countries are beginning to transition back to something resembling normality; borders are reopening, and travellers are tentatively thinking about taking to the skies once again. However, the WTTC believes that masks should be an essential, mandatory accessory for anybody travelling – both for their own protection and for the health and safety of those around them. In order to promote this, it has launched a new ‘wear to care’ campaign, encouraging travellers to take selfies while out wearing masks and share them in order to inspire others to do the same.
“Embracing the use of face masks will reduce the risk of transmission, protect the user and those around them, [and reintroduce] a sense of normality as we learn to live with the virus until a vaccine is found,” said a statement from the WTTC. The organisation said that masks should be worn on all forms of transport at every stage of the journey, and in any enclosed venue where social distancing measures are impractical or impossible; it has called for world governments to support the initiative.
“The safety and hygiene of travellers and those who work in travel and tourism is of paramount importance,” said the WTTC’s President and Chief Executive Gloria Guevara, “which is why we strongly recommend masks being mandatory. [Our campaign] 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.”
She went on to say that it was important not to ‘politicise’ an act as important as wearing a mask, and that such practices need to become part of everyday life: “We implore the private sector and global governments to encourage their use, so wearing a mask becomes the new normal.”
The campaign is laudable and has ITIJ’s full support – hopefully if governments and other stakeholders and authoritative bodies co-operate to encourage the practise, it will help to instill the correct mindset. Mask wearing has been very successful in some countries, though people’s willingness to comply does seem to depend on the level of government involvement and the culture of the country in question. If nothing else, we can hope that if enough people do adopt the practice, others will follow suit out of a sense of embarrassment, if not duty to their fellow human beings.