The president of the Cabildo, Mª Dolores Corujo, together with the Society for Exterior Promotion of Lanzarote (SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote) and the Lanzarote Tourism Federation (FTL), will address the Government of the Canary Islands this week to request that the island be the destination of the first flight in which the pilot project of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will be tested worldwide, consisting of monitoring passengers with a secure health application called Hi-Card to certify that they are free of Covid-19.
Last Friday, the Minister of Tourism of the Autonomous Government, Yaiza Castilla, received confirmation from the UNWTO that the Canary Islands had been selected to launch this project through the aforementioned application - developed by a company from the Archipelago - which will store on mobile phones, through the creation of a unique digital profile, the medical information of passengers certified by an entity accredited by the Ministry of Health.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, highlights that "the low rate of infections and the way in which the island is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic from a health point of view are undoubtedly factors that strengthen our position as a tourist destination at a time when safety has become one of the main foundations that contribute to the international reputation of destinations." The president adds that, if carried out, "the initiative will strictly comply with all health guarantees for both the health of our tourists and the population of Lanzarote."
The Island Promotion Entity and the Island Tourism Federation have been able to verify, throughout the various meetings held in the last ten days with the main European tourism organizations and operators, the willingness of airlines to resume their operations with Lanzarote as soon as air connectivity is allowed to begin, since the low incidence of infections is being perceived by some markets as a positive factor that is increasing interest in traveling to the island.
In this sense, the island's Councilor for Tourism Promotion, Ángel Vázquez, considers that the island would be the "ideal destination" to host this pioneering flight worldwide, scheduled for the month of July, in which this project would be tested "that will allow passengers to travel with the peace of mind of knowing that all the people who share their flight do so carrying a digital health passport that guarantees them to be free of Covid-19." "An event that would also become a promotion of inestimable value for the destination," he adds.
He also points out that, "on the other hand, the initiative to receive this first flight also fits into the Smart Island project in which Lanzarote is working within the binomial technology and tourism, to be an Intelligent Biosphere Reserve."
For her part, the president of the FTL, Susana Pérez, stressed "the effort and determination with which the island's tourism sector is working to guarantee compliance with preventive measures in the island's tourist establishments and activities, in order to provide guarantee and confidence to potential tourists and tour operators."
In this regard, the Lanzarote Tourism Federation is immersed in the preparation, together with Biolab Company and CFC, of the Post-Covid-19 Safe Establishments Program to help in the reopening of the different tourist establishments and activities. This program will include not only the ICTE National Guide, but also the specific protocols that will be developed within the Canary Islands Plan 'Tourist Protocols Laboratory' in which this Federation participates.