Launching North America’s First Destination Health & Safety Certification Program

image of Prince Edward Island tourism

Tourism Prince Edward Island

Destination: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Engagement: 2020 – 2021


Understanding the enormous impact of COVID-19 on visitors’ expectations, Tourism PEI and its industry, government, and community partners saw a potential need to move beyond a baseline cleaning protocol and accreditation (e.g., the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Safe Travel stamp) and create a more robust framework to both satisfy public health requirements and build trust among residents and prospective travellers. Twenty31 was retained to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the business case and feasibility of a tourism-specific, business-friendly, third-party health and safety certification program.

In-depth assessment


We carefully reviewed tourism-specific health and safety certification programs, assessing pros and cons and potential applicability to Prince Edward Island’s tourism industry. Conducted at the global level, this analysis included major hotel groups, airlines, and destinations.

Assessment of public health requirements, travel consumer perceptions, and industry requirements


Assessment of public health requirements, travel consumer perceptions, and industry requirements

Development of standards


Building on the previous phases of the project, we developed health and safety standards aligned with public health requirements along the travel and tourism value chain and specific to tourism industry sub-sectors (i.e., restaurants, attractions, retail, accommodation, transportation).

Formation of a strategy and plan


We then created an implementation strategy and action plan to roll out the selected program, EarthSafe (powered by certification program leader EarthCheck), via an online portal in corporation with travel and tourism stakeholders.

Tourism PEI adopted our recommendation and in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of PEI launched Safe Haven, North America’s first tourism industry health and safety certification program. In 2022, Safe Haven received a prestigious Skift IDEA award.