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The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, announced that it is collaborating with Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) to support hotels seeking formal accreditation for their cleaning programs, as well as guest safety and satisfaction for medical and wellness travelers. The GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel Program, which provides assurance and external validation of a property’s risk mitigation protocols and guest experience, includes two remote accreditation options: GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel for Medical Travel and GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel for Well-being.
“Before the pandemic, global wellness and medical travel generated over $700 billion of revenue annually, making it an important focus for many hospitality properties,” said GHA CEO Karen Timmons. “In the wake of the pandemic, there is a growing consensus that consumers will turn to trusted sources as safety increasingly becomes a brand differentiator. GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel Accreditation ensures hotels comply with recognized industry-wide hotel cleaning and sanitation standards required by COVID-19, as well as customer experience and safety protocols specific to the needs and expectations of medical travel and wellness guests. GHA is proud to partner with GBAC to align the WellHotel programs with GBAC STAR and build trust and confidence on the part of guests traveling for medical care and well-being.”
GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel for Medical Travel helps hospitality properties of all types, such as luxury, boutique, extended-stay, and airport hotels, put the appropriate safety protocols in place to care for medical travel guests. Meanwhile, GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel for Well-being is a framework that enables hotels to meet the needs of wellness-minded tourists. Properties can also achieve both accreditations at once through a combined application process.
The program is based on 38 elements, 20 associated with GBAC STAR and 18 for GHA WellHotel. Each have specific performance and guidance criteria that hotels must fulfill. Accredited hotels will receive a co-branded GBAC/GHA STAR seal to display in guest and employee areas to further build trust and confidence.
“Both GBAC STAR and GHA WellHotel Accreditation are built upon a strong commitment to cleaning, disinfection, infection prevention, and guest experience, in order to protect facility visitors and employees,” said GBAC executive director Patricia Olinger. “By aligning our programs with one another, we’re able to offer hotels a comprehensive approach to accreditation and give both medical and wellness travelers greater peace of mind that these properties are safe and focused on their unique needs.”
GBAC STAR is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities. The performance-based program is designed to help facilities of all sizes establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for biohazard situations like the novel coronavirus.