In Argentina, there are 18 safe destinations to travel during the pandemic

Twenty-eight locations in America They have obtained the travel security seal of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, for its acronym in English). And among them is Argentina, with 18 distinctions.

In times of pandemic, this brand new health certificate, endorsed by the World Tourism Organization, works both as a relief and as an honor.

It is issued both a at local, regional or state level and it has nothing to do with the number of cases of contagion recorded in the country. “If a country has high rates of covid-19, but has established protocols, we can give it the seal because there are many cases in which contagions have nothing to do with travelers”, Explained Gloria Guevara Manzo, President of the WTTC, during the virtual seminar“ The recovery of travel and tourism, a global perspective ”, organized by the International Federation of Tourism Business Executives Associations (FIASEET).

And he illustrated his words by citing the historic Inca sanctuary of Machu Picchu, in Peru, which has just received it, as well as the seaside resort of Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, two destinations in countries like Peru and Mexico, very affected by the pandemic.

All of them demonstrated that they respected the 11 safety and hygiene protocols developed by the World Travel and Tourism Council following the World Health Organization guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for airports, airplanes, amusement parks, hotels, hospitality, car rental, tour operators, outdoor trade and convention centers, among others. They include safety and hygiene standards, guidelines on mask use, consumer tracking, public distancing, and the availability of antiviral gels, among other requirements.

The seal has become universal at a breakneck pace and allows travelers to identify which places in the world offer “safe travel”.

In addition to Argentina, That so far conglomerates 18 sites with the distinction, the other countries of the continent which deserved the seal are Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Chile, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Lucia, Turks & Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Tobago and United States.

Spas Neuquén, on the Limay

So many and so diverse are the people chosen that any proposal is a good decision. To highlight a few, on the wage bill are the Neuquén Spas Free on the banks of the Limay River: Sandra Canale (to the south-east, former Gatica), Professor Gustavo Adolfo Fahler (at the end of Olascoaga Avenue, the favorite of young people), Albino Cotro and Paseo de la Costa.

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Nahuel Huapi National Park, shared beauty

Divided between Neuquén and Río Negro, the 700,000 hectares of Nahuel Huapi National Park never disappoint, neither in winter nor in summer. It offers a large billboard with all sports activities in forests, lakes and mountains; in addition to remaining tourism, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, trekking, rafting, horseback riding, bicycle excursions for all physical conditions, climbing and sport fishing for those who combine rest and tranquility. It’s good to keep in mind that Río Negro requires travel insurance that covers possible cases of covid-19.

Just 400 kilometers from Resistencia, the city with the most outdoor sculptures in the country, El Impenetrable National Park, is one of the most desolate, beautiful and unexplored places in Argentina. Nearly 129,000 hectares of wild nature where many endangered species live freely. It is advisable to leave between April and November – to avoid the sun in the middle of summer – with a good insect repellent and not to get lost the best observation points tapirs, jaguars, pumas, maned guazúes, various species of foxes and countless local pearls. The Impenetrable Chaco is the third largest forest in South America, behind the Amazon and the Cerrado of Brazil. He was one of the places most affected by logging and desertification. You have to understand what a responsible tourist is worth and why it must be preserved.

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Aruba, always happy

It is true that in addition to being safe, the beaches are the Eden of a vacation in Argentina and two of the destinations that have received the seal. Safe travel these are Aruba and the Bahamas. On the first island, he adds to another previous distinction, Aruba Code of Health and Happiness (Aruba Health and Happiness Code), which was put in place a few months ago to keep all businesses on the Dutch island running smoothly. On this desert island, without rivers and with one of the highest salinity rates in the world (between 34 and 38 grams per liter of seawater), happiness is not just a slogan.

Besides Cuba, Aruba is one of the places where Argentines are always welcome: thanks to the sympathy and professionalism of Máxima Zorreguieta, the queen of the Netherlands whom all Arubians adore on life-size posters. Safe, bright, Spanish speaking and heavenly, it has the advantage two two those twisted trees on the beach that always make your photos look the best. Plagued by butterflies Yes gastronomic places, both the capital and the trendy district –palm beach– dazzle with an eclectic gastronomy that collects a certain flavor from every place the Dutch have walked.

Galapagos Islands, Noah’s Ark

Finally, in this mini proposal for Spanish-speaking destinations for safe travel, the well-deserved recognition of the Galapagos Islands, in Ecuador, could not be overlooked. Despite the fact that they were closed to tourism between March and July of last year, they only recorded 233 cases coronavirus and strict biosecurity protocols have made the archipelago, located in the center of the globe, one of the rarest, safest and most enchanted places in the world. Patrimonium of mankind since 1978, it has associated tropical beaches, coral reefs, deserts and volcanoes with giant turtles, whales, penguins, lizards and whales. A truly South Pacific Noah’s Ark.

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A fall that must be traced

WTTC chief Gloria Guevara Manzo pointed out that 2020 has closed 197 million fewer jobs that 2019 in the tourism industry what it meant losses of US $ 5.5 trillion worldwide.

“For some countries the tourism sector accounts for 10% of their economy, but in some Caribbean islands tourism contributes more than 50%,” said Guevara Manzo.

For that, When the decline began last June, the agency created the Safe Travel Seal, a green light in terms of safety and hygiene to “restore the confidence of travelers and reactivate such a degraded industry”.

Yes 145 destinations received this approval of the WTTC, but it must be specified that the selection is executed on behalf of local communities, who choose the sites and establishments they wish to protect. Then, they themselves send the material to the Council authorities so that they can assess compliance with necessary biosecurity protocols to receive certification. And finally, they are issued.

mm / ds