The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has published a report detailing mental health guidelines with the aim of helping the recovery of travel and tourism worldwide. The news comes in an announcement published by the WTTC.
“The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched its new mental health guidelines for the Travel & Tourism sector, which have been compiled to support businesses of all sizes to support the mental health of their employees,” the announcement reads.
After the trials of 2020, many workers worldwide have found their mental health deteriorating in some way due to government mandated shutdowns, lack of contact with other people, and loss of loved ones.
This is especially true for workers in the travel and tourism sector, who have lost nearly all business for almost a year. This has left many families and individuals in bad situations, and the mental health of many of these people has suffered as a result.
According to the report, it has been found that poor mental health can have extremely adverse consequences on the functionality of a business due to the suffering of the people who are operating it.
In addition to workers, the report also describes how the mental health of travelers can be positively affected by traveling.
“While it is essential for mental health to be thoughtfully integrated within organisational policies, it is important to note the importance of travel in enhancing individual’s mental wellbeing. Indeed, travel provides an opportunity for individuals to try new things and meet new people, in turn helping them combat monotony,” the report reads.
As a result of these circumstances the WTTC has found it necessary to publish an entire report detailing how to keep workers’ mental health a priority for companies in the sector and why it is important.
The guidelines in the report are organized into four different pillars, or areas of concentration:
- Developing a supportive system
Mental health, according to the WTTC report, should be integrated into each organization’s strategy and internal policy. It should also be fully integrated into the culture of the organization for lasting and positive results. Companies in the sector can achieve this by implementing transparent policies that are easily accessible to all employees.
- Creating safe spaces
Mental health should be valued by companies and getting help should be supported. Organizations need to ensure that their environment is free of discrimination against people with mental health issues or whom are seeking help.
- Supporting an agile system
Organizations should be agile and able to change quickly. According to the report, this is a key part of a company being able to survive the next crisis and support its employees through it.
- Exemplifying support for good mental health
Companies should be committed to mental health in both their internal and external environments. Wellness should be an area of focus for organizations inside of their own companies, but also across the sector as a whole.
