(VOVWORLD) - Ministers of Tourism from the Group of 20 (G20) on Tuesday pledged support for "safe international mobility initiatives" as a way to help relaunch the world's tourism sector.
 Tourists visit northern Russia in spring (VNA) |
Italian Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia told reporters after a one-day virtual meeting that the ministers agreed a normalized global tourism industry was "crucial" to the world's economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
They agreed to back efforts for "safe mobility" that coordinates regional and national initiatives, such as the EU-launched Digital Green Certificate, which shows a person has been fully vaccinated, has coronavirus immunity after recovering from an infection, or has recently tested negative for COVID-19.
Garavaglia said European Commissioner Thierry Breton has committed to introducing the Green Certificate as soon as mid-June.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), called for a global standard for travel. He proposed countries to build common, harmonized criteria for the easing of travel restrictions, and for increased investment in systems that support safe travel, including testing on departure and on arrival.