In the latter half of this month, Iberostar Group will begin the "scaled" reopening of hotels in Spain, Montenegro, Budapest, Greece, Portugal and Mexico, in tandem with stringent health, safety and staff training measures that align with its Wave of Change sustainability program, the company said.
In a "trial phase" in early June, Iberostar Cristina in Majorca, Spain, will reopen, with the company's executives and employees evaluating the new health and safety measures before welcoming guests back.
In April, the company created a medical advisory board to face the challenges wrought by the coronavirus.
"The difficulty lies not in designing safety protocols, but rather in doing so from a holistic, science-based perspective without undoing the progress we've made in caring for the ecosystems," said Iberostar Group CEO Sabina Fluxa. "We are proud of the measures we have introduced, particularly because they have allowed us to maintain our commitment to being a single-use, plastic-free company, as far as legislation permits, reinforcing our circularity policies and use of products that minimize environmental impact."
Masks, for instance, are designed from recycled materials; and measures are being put in place to encourage frequent hand washing to minimize the use of plastic gloves.
Health and safety measures include permanent centralized medical services with isolation rooms and ambulances on standby.
Based on advice from virology experts, Iberostar is increasing the "frequency and depth of disinfection in all spaces, and establishing ongoing cleaning processes," the company said.
To work toward ensuring social distancing, hotel occupancy will be capped at 70 percent, and furniture will be placed further apart then it was prior to the pandemic.
Iberostar is also reducing the number of tables in a la carte restaurants and increasing buffets spaces.
"The United Nations has launched a call to consider this recovery as an opportunity to 'build back better.' As a company, we accept this challenge," Fluxa said. "Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need for responsible tourism that cares for people and the environment, and commits to creating healthy settings."
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