In an effort to establish travel confidence, Forbes Travel Guide and Sharecare have created a health and safety security ‘seal of approval’ to identify properties that have achieved verification.
For those who have traveled during COVID-19, the one rule that is certain is that individual properties seem to follow their own health and safety rules, often set by either management, or local government and now Forbes and Sharecare is changing that.
Many hotels have not practiced what they preached, with some almost negligent about enforcing protocols, such as mask wearing, or practicing social distancing in public areas. Such discrepancies have made it difficult for industry professionals to make recommendations without actually visiting individual properties.
Until now.
In an effort to create a global industry standard, a new heath-security program from Forbes Travel Guide and the digital health company Sharecare aims to hasten the industry’s recovery and increase hotel booking, by reassuring travelers that accredited properties are following the highest safety and health protocols. The comprehensive assessment includes health and hygiene protocols, cleaning products and procedures, masks and PPE, ventilation, management accountability and health safety communication with guests and employees.
More than 500 hotels from around the world are currently pursuing the badge, with 175 properties already verified.
To receive the verification badge from Forbes Travel Guide and Sharecare, hotels must complete a comprehensive assessment about health and safety protocols already in place by answering more than 360 questions about their health and safety standards.
Understanding the critical need to create a sense of confidence in travel again, Sharecare’s health security verification comes with an easily identifiable “seal of approval” – the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide badge for hotels to display on their websites and on-property.
“Restoring guest confidence is a critical objective for the entire global hospitality industry, especially hotels and resorts,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, in a statement. “To their credit, hotels have invested heavily in setting up health safety procedures, but they have placed the burden of assessing their programs – and assuring individual properties are following them – onto the guest or travel advisor. This conflicts with the guiding principles of hospitality, not to mention the carefree joys of travel. By earning the VERIFIED badge, hotels now have a credible way to broadcast that they are following comprehensive, consistent procedures to heighten health security, certified by a third party.”
You Might Also Be Interested In
EIC Offers Best Practice GuideÂ
