Madeira is the first tourism region to have a destination certification process underway by an internationally recognized multinational, betting on transmitting confidence to visitors, said the secretary responsible for the Regional Government sector.
“Madeira was the first region in Portugal to have a manual of good referencing practices for the sector, participated by the sector, and it is the first tourism region that we know, until now, with an ongoing certification process”, said Eduardo Jesus in an interview with the Lusa agency.
The Madeiran official pointed out that the epidemiological situation of this autonomous region in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, with 90 cases, 60% of which were recovered, and the absence of deaths caused by the new coronavirus, make Madeira “a very unique and quite differentiated ”, placing this destination“ on a completely different level from the markets with which it regularly works ”.
“For this reason, Madeira has had a journey that, at this moment, has reached a certain stage of evolution that is not corresponding or has not been corresponded by the issuing markets yet”, he stressed.
The Madeiran secretary considered that “this was the right time to restore confidence”, since “covid-19 came to instil fear in people” and created “a society with fears”,
“The great challenge is to restore confidence”, he insisted, adding that Madeira bet on a “challenge launched to the regional sector”, for everyone together.
Eduardo Jesus stressed that “this was how a manual of good practices was born”, which was prepared with “contributions and ideas from people“ from all over the sector ”, is a document“ that does not close, has a daily version, is available on the ‘website ‘from the Regional Directorate for Tourism’ and is permanently updated.
This handbook “served as a basis for thinking ahead, given the enthusiasm of the sector and the quality that has been achieved in the document”, showing that “it could be a good basis for certifying the fate of Madeira”, he stressed.
The official argued that if “companies review themselves in that guidance manual” it was possible to “certify the destination as a whole as one that has an implemented practice, controlled by a certified and certified company by an international company”.
Eduardo Jesus announced that this challenge was launched to the multinational Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), for being “one of the most credible entities with regard to these certification processes”, referring that, through this project, Madeira is “on the crest” the wave in the four corners of the world quickly ”.
“What we are doing is differentiating the destination of Madeira through its credibility. We are believing in destiny and that gives credibility to destiny ”, he emphasized, considering that“ the message of trust cannot be just talk, and no one will leave the house to enter an adventure of danger to health ”.
The government official mentioned that this investment also involves the Madeira Promotion Association, with members being exempt from any costs of this certification this year.
“We want to have the first certifications in July”, he pointed out, explaining that this process “is different” from the seal (Covid Safe Tourism) which has “a more immediate logic”, a “short reach”, just filling out a survey, while “Certification requires the implementation of practices”, depending on the verification of the proper implementation “.
Eduardo Jesus emphasized that certification “is a different commitment and one does not invalidate the other”.
“Here the key is that what you do, you do it well. And to do well is not being able to create a false expectation for the traveller”, based on three prevention criteria, which“ must always be verified in any circumstance: social distance, use of personal protective equipment and health security ”.
“If we apply these three directories at any point during the trip, we have the process safeguarded. That is, before getting on the plane, on the plane, when leaving the plane, when making the first ground transportation, when going to the accommodation, when circulating inside and outside the accommodation, at all these moments there are three major lines to check ”, he stressed.
The Madeiran government official also maintained that everything that is done must “serve these three universes: whoever visits, who works and who resides”.
In Portugal, 1,218 people out of 29,036 confirmed as infected died, and there are 4,636 recovered cases, according to the Directorate-General for Health.
Madeira continued on Sunday with no new cases of covid-19, maintaining the same 90 reported situations for 11 days, 59 of which are reported to have been recovered and 31 active, and no deaths, according to the region’s health authority.
To combat the pandemic, governments sent 4.5 billion people home (more than half of the planet’s population), paralyzing entire sectors of the world economy, in a “great confinement” that several countries have already begun to alleviate in the face of declining prices and new contagions.