Ethiopia has written a mandatory National Safe Travel Protocol to obtain a safe travel stamp, an accreditation given by the World Travel & Tourism Council to the countries that adopt standardised global health and hygiene protocols.

The Ministry of Culture & Tourism crafted the Protocol over the past two months after consulting with operators in the sector. Tourism Ethiopia, Addis Abeba Hotel Owner's Association, the Hotel Marketing Association, the Ethiopian Chef's Association and the Ethiopian Tour Operator's Association participated in the drafting process.

Prepared following international guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control (CDC), the Protocol has four broad sections of applicability. The first three focus on tour operators, attraction sites and hospitality establishments. The remaining section is applicable to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

The Protocol will be implemented across all the chains in the tourism sector in collaboration with regional tourism bureaus, according to Tewodros Derbew, director of international tourism facilitation at the Ministry.

The document has been distributed across tourist destinations, and the Ministry is currently waiting for confirmation on the applicability of the Protocol across the regional states.

"While it has its own cost implications, the main work lies in changes in attitude when it comes to safety," said the director, who stated that the Ministry is doing an assessment of what materials are necessary for the rules to be implemented, including thermometer equipment, hand sanitiser and disinfecting equipment.

"We also have to compare what the country could potentially lose if this is not done," he said.

In the 2018/19 fiscal year, 900,000 tourists traveled to Ethiopia, earning the country three billion dollars in revenue. In the fiscal year that ended in July, just 541,000 tourists traveled to the country, bringing in a little over two billion dollars. The sector contributes nine percent of GDP.

Preliminary communications with the Tourism Council to get the accreditation have already been initiated, according to Sileshi Girma, CEO of Tourism Ethiopia.

African countries like Ghana, Egypt, Rwanda and Kenya have already secured the stamp.

The official launching of the Protocol is expected to take place before the beginning of the Ethiopian New Year.

The guidelines will uphold high standards of cleanliness for the safety of visitors and the workforce, including local communities, according to Getahun Alemayehu, president of the Hotel Marketing Association.

"It encompasses all the players in the sector," he said. "This will ensure safety for all those involved."

The Protocol compels operators to develop a COVID-19 prevention plan and train all their staff. It also requires them to use personal protective equipment like masks and hand sanitiser and facilitate cashless transactions whenever possible.

Museums, campsites, castles, religious sites and monuments should have temperature checkpoints and adequate supplies of water, soap and hand sanitiser. The Protocol limits visiting groups to no more than nine while maintaining social distance. It also requires cleaning a vehicle's surfaces that a passenger may have touched with alcohol-based wipes or disinfectant before and after every journey.

Hotels are also required to screen all their employees through a quarterly COVID-19 screening. They are entrusted with training their staff and ensuring strict sanitising procedures on hotel public areas and touchpoints.