Abu Dhabi has launched its hygiene strategy for the tourism sector, which has been created in anticipation of the return of international tourists.

Hotels within the emirate have undergone rigorous sanitation from the beginning of March, leading to the reopening of properties once they have received clearance and certification from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

The capital has been gradually easing stay-at-home measures after its proven success in curbing the spread of Covid-19.

Among the initiatives launched by DCT Abu Dhabi to address the need for elevated standards of health and safety is the Go Safe Certification, a unique programme that aims to enforce global standards of safety and cleanliness at hotels, attractions, and venues across the emirate.

W Abu Dhabi - Yas Island is the first hotel in the emirate to receive the new certification which in time will cover six additional hotels, four attractions, two theme parks, two malls and a public beach.

Go Safe is then set to be rolled out across all attractions within the capital including malls, restaurants, theme parks and other public spaces.

“Abu Dhabi is setting a new standard for best practices in tourism, following the high praise that the UAE has received for the proactive approach through which the government has addressed the current situation,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director of tourism and marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi.

“As we look forward to reviving tourism in the capital, we aim to not only meet, but to exceed all existing international benchmarks through a strategy that promotes consumer safety every step of the way; from the moment they land at our airports to their eventual departure.

“The launch of Go Safe goes hand-in-hand with the efforts of the Abu Dhabi government to combat the spread of diseases, which include widespread testing, city-wide sanitation, social distancing, and enhancing healthcare services.”

The first step of the programme will be guided self-assessments which hotels and attractions will undergo as per guidelines and checklists provided by DCT Abu Dhabi, encouraging them to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their own facilities in order to carry out similar operations independently in the future.

The self-assessments will then be verified through thorough site-inspections conducted by dedicated teams to ensure the compliance of destinations to the highest standard of cleanliness.

Destinations that meet the requirements will be awarded the Go Safe Certificate, which signals to consumers its readiness to receive visitors and maintain hygiene throughout.