A new ‘wear to care’ campaign has been launched by he World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) calling upon all travelers to wear protective face masks in the new normal way of traveling.
As countries continue to reopen their borders, the use of face masks could help signal the return of safer travels, while providing personal protection for everyone around. The advice from WTTC in favor of mandatory mask wearing comes from evidence that countries which are recovering faster and avoid second COVID-19 spikes are those where the use of face masks has been enforced and encouraged.
Following medical guidance from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, WTTC advises the wearing of 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 meters or less.
The 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 travelers.
Travelers around the world are being encouraged to join in the WTTC social media campaign with the hashtag #wear2care.
Embracing the use of face masks will reduce the risk of transmission. It protects the user and those around them, and it reintroduced a certain sense of normality while a vaccine is developed.
Frequent hand-washing and using hand sanitizer complement the use of face masks which can significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
“‘Wear to care’ promotes the protection of face mask users and visibly shows they care about the welfare and safety of their fellow travelers, which will help save lives and encourage the return of Safe Travels,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO. “Wearing a mask needs to become part of everyday life until a vaccine for COVID-19 is found. We implore the private sector and global governments to encourage their use so wearing a mask becomes the new normal.”
Ramon Sánchez, Principal Investigator and Research Associate at Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: “Wearing face masks has been proven to provide the highest level of protection against transmission at 82%. Constant hand hygiene and surface cleaning, which kills more than 90% of viruses that are found on surfaces, also prevents the virus from reaching the face from the hands.
Travelers around the world can get involved with the campaign by sharing pictures of themselves traveling with their masks and sharing with the hashtag #wear2care.
