A new tourism industry standard and consumer mark, designed to give consumer confidence to visitors and residents, has been welcomed by Wightlink as it is granted its own certificate.
The ‘We’re Good to Go’ mark has been launched by VisitBritain so that businesses across the sector can demonstrate that they are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance and have carried out the necessary risk assessments.
Businesses are awarded the mark following a self-assessment process which includes a check list confirming they have put the necessary processes in place including social distancing and cleanliness protocols.
Wightlink has, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, put in place a number of additional measures to ensure help customers and colleagues travel safely. This has included the use of face coverings on-board, plastic screens in cafes and ticket offices, additional hand sanitisation stations plus social distancing signage and floor markers.
The company has also produced a short film to familiarise its customers with the steps in place and a dedicated webpage at www.wightlink.co.uk/coronavirus
The ferry operator is now able to display the mark to give potential visitors to the Island and those residents travelling for leisure or work purposes, additional reassurance as they travel.
Wightlink CEO Keith Greenfield says:
“We welcome the introduction of this tourism standard across the sector and the additional confidence it is likely to give visitors as they start to return to the Island from early next month as well as the local residents when they travel and visit places both on and off the Island.
Article continues below this advertisement “We are very supportive of its roll-out across the Island and the efforts being made by Visit IW to support the tourism sector as it starts to recover from this challenging period. While we must all still act with caution to protect the local community, it is steps like these that will enable us all to return to some form of normality and boost our vital visitor economy.”
We must all still act with caution to protect the local community. This statement from Wightlink is absolute rubbish. My neighbours from London came and went about 4 times from the beginning of April to their 2nd home, no questions asked, l know they weren’t the only ones.
They’re not the police – they don’t enforce the law
No they’re not the police, but if they really did care about our lsland community , they could have tried harder to discourage people coming over for holidays.
Start your FastCat service again then!
I hope this self awarded tourism standard in no way gives customers the confidence that they are dealing with a reliable ferry operator. Wightlink have an appalling record of delays and, worse still, cancellations at a moments notice.
Just looked to book 2 nights away from the island it’s just over £100 2 weeks ago it was just £47 return Red funnel is just as expensive it’s disgusting the amount they charge I can’t imagine many holidaymakers will come here especially if they have a caravan cheaper to go abroad all inclusive virus permitting
Start Lym to Yar route up again please. Come on, some of us have work to get to and can’t get the Portsmouth our Southampton routes. Start keeping your regular customers informed.
Wightlink and Red Funnel are the true Second Home Owners and Tourists’ friends. Well done to them for bringing hundreds to the Island during a global pandemic. I very much doubt that the key workers such as nurses, lorry drivers with provisions, and squaddies building emergency morgues bothered to strap kayaks to the roof of their personalised plated BMWs…. Yet I have seen loads. Isle of Wight feries- definitely not profiteering! In time of war the directors would be imprisoned.