The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), along with governments and health experts, has created a new set of “Safe Travels” global health and safety protocols.  The WTTC guidelines have received the backing of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and were developed with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  WTTC ’s stamp is awarded to tour operators that have adopted these guidelines and protocols for global safety and hygiene.

OPERATIONAL AND STAFF PREPAREDNESS
SITA has achieved operational readiness for reopening by having:

• Obtained the applicable reopening license as required by local government.
• Developed a COVID-19 prevention plan including an action/checklist for infection prevention and a special cleaning and disinfection plan.
• Implemented protocols and guidelines for staff health as per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
• Reflected physical distance in office layout and limited the number of staff in common back-of-house areas where possible as required by local legislation.
• Implemented protocols to minimize physical contact. Implemented physical distancing protocols.
• Personal protection equipment (PPE) available to staff, such as masks.
• Integrated technologies to enable automation such as contactless payment where possible. If contactless payment is not possible, uses gloves and hand sanitation.
• Established with suppliers and partners including restaurants, hotels, parks, transport partners and venues that they followed likeminded health and hygiene protocols and guidelines to protect guests as required by local legislation.
• Introduced a COVID-19 contingency plan should new cases emerge in collaboration with suppliers and partners.
• Identified and adopted appropriate cleanliness and disinfection best practices validated by expert bodies, health authorities and governmental institutions.
• Explored different options for operations, where possible, such as advanced tickets, timed entries, smaller groups.
• Requested that partners, vendors, hotels, and transport partners have trained their staff on the basis of likeminded protocols to enable consistent approach across sector.
• All training is informed by the latest advice from public health authorities and/or WHO.
• Regular monitoring of well-being of team members by management, encouraging them to following governmental and WHO guidelines.

DELIVERING A SAFE EXPERIENCE
As SITA works to deliver a safe experience for their staff and their guests through enhanced cleanliness and hygiene best practices, we have:

• Worked with suppliers to understand what additional measures have been introduced
• Implemented or confirmed with suppliers’ processes focused on enhanced sanitation, disinfection, and deep cleaning practices for coaches and other vehicles used as well as increase their cleaning/disinfection frequency:
  1. Selected disinfecting products approved by health authorities
  2. Revisited guidance to cleaning team with a specific focus on high-frequency touch points. Enhance cleaning frequency as appropriate
  3. Approved disinfecting products made available at sanitation stations to guests in the form of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as appropriate.
  4. Allocated seating plans with no rotation. Implement seat spacing if required
  5. Explored providing bins with liner bags and regular disposal where possible
  6. Established with transport partners that they have likeminded processes for sanitation, disinfection, and deep cleaning practices
• Implemented customer processes including guest information and minimizing physical contact:
  1. Implemented guest health checks & testing if appropriate & required by local legislation
  2. Limited physical contact and queuing where possible
  3. Make masks available to guests if required by local authorities
  4. Developed online check-in and contactless check-out tools and procedures where appropriate and possible
  5. Explored staggered timing when possible of access to venues, hotels, and restaurants
• Established with partners and suppliers that they follow health, sanitation, disinfection, and hygiene protocols aligned with local regulation
• Established that partner restaurants follow health, sanitation, disinfection and hygiene and food safety protocols to protect guests, such as:
  1. Approved disinfecting products made available at entrance to guests in the form of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as appropriate.
  2. Established with restaurant that restaurant staff are trained and adhere to likeminded health, hygiene, and physical contact guidelines
  3. Avoid guest own handling of food at buffets
  4. Regular cleaning of coffee/drinks machines and where possible operated by staff
  5. Enhanced cleaning, including disinfecting of tables and chairs after guest has left and using dishwasher over handwashing where possible
  6. Minimized physical contact through table spacing and guest seating if required by local legislation
  7. Considered minimizing what is placed on guest tables and provide mono-packaged items if feasible
  8. Considered having longer opening hours to reduce the number of guests served at any given time and facilitate the implementation of the new measures
  9. Reviewed payment method to prioritize contactless and pre-payment methods

REBUILDING TRUST & CONFIDENCE
As SITA works work to enhance trust and confidence through transparency and communication with our guests, we will:

• Provide clear, consistent, and up-to-date communication to customers on new health & hygiene protocols via the organization’s channels, both digitally and physically. Work with suppliers to implement clear signage to inform guests of the enhanced cleaning protocols, avoiding physical contact, and recommendations.
• Share guest guidelines ahead of trip of the advice from health authorities which may include the wearing of face masks or coverings, guidance on hand hygiene and avoiding physical contact. SITA will consider having consumers acknowledge guidelines.
• Inform guests about support available if questions or concerns arise. Guest facing staff are trained and prepared to answer questions, resolve challenges such as the detection of new cases, address situations where guests are not complying and share protocols before and during trip to reassure traveler.
• Explore collaboration with medical/travel insurance companies to offer traveler insurance covering COVID-19 who could assist with arrangements should they be necessary such as emergency repatriation and medical care.
• Promote contact tracing apps if required by local legislation.