Bermuda’s Covid-19 SafeKey programme has been highlighted by an international travel and tourism body.

The hi-tech programme organised by Denis Pitcher, the chief fintech adviser to David Burt, the Premier, was publicised by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Mr Pitcher said he was “honoured” to see the scheme featured alongside other programmes around the world.

The co-owner of ResPartner, which developed the technology free of charge, wrote in a Facebook post yesterday: “Denmark, England, Israel, France and … Bermuda?

“I am incredibly honoured that the SafeKey and vaccine certificate solution I rolled out is one of only a handful that have been accomplished in the world and has been noticed by the World Travel and Tourism Council.”

He was speaking after the WTTC, a forum for international business leaders, organised an online discussion about the tourism economy which included a slide designed to highlight the technology deployed to combat the effects of the coronavirus on the sector.

Mr Pitcher also posted a video of the WTTC discussion on the resumption of international travel with the help of digital passes.

The SafeKey pilot scheme provides a QR code to allow people who have just tested clear for the coronavirus or who have been fully vaccinated to eat indoors at restaurants and take part in large events.

Almost 25,000 people on the island have had SafeKeys approved by the Government.

Mr Pitcher said earlier on Facebook that the aim of SafeKey was to “plan for the next outbreak and provide many businesses a means to stay open as much as possible when they might otherwise be forced to close”.

He added: “Hopefully it won't be needed for broad use, but judging by the vaccine wariness and the ongoing rise of new variants, we're not over with the pandemic just yet.”

The WTTC round table discussion can be found here.