WHY IT RATES: Travel advisors can book their clients on The Travel Corporation's guided tours with confidence, as enhanced sanitation and hygiene protocols have been put in place. -Codie Liermann, Associate Editor
The Travel Corporation (TTC) and its numerous, award-winning guided vacation brands (Trafalgar, Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Contiki and Costsaver) have announced their newly enhanced COVID-19 related protocols and hygiene standards for all guided vacations once domestic and international travel resumes.
TTC's executive and operations team members have spearheaded a complete review of the sanitation and hygiene measures around guests' experiences and interactions while on their guided holidays, from the moment they meet their Travel Directors and Trip Managers to traveling on state-of-the-art coaches, the hotels they will stay in and the immersive excursions they will experience on each trip.
"At TTC, as a family-owned and run business for the past 100 years, we have always taken the well-being and peace of mind of our guests and every team member as our top priority," said Brett Tollman, Chief Executive of The Travel Corporation. "As we adapt to this new world, our dedicated, diligent TTC team members across the globe are preparing and will be implementing enhanced training, procedures and numerous new measures throughout our various guest experiences offered, with the very best possible care and service. These new protocols will be adapted and adjusted as needed, in a timely manner, as governments define and implement what will be required in each country," he concluded.
Tollman confirmed the following important new steps and procedures which have been implemented to further elevate hygiene protocols and sanitary practices and to provide travelers with the much-needed peace of mind during their travels, in these new times. TTC is ready to comply with new testing and physical distancing and hygiene protocol requirements by relevant government authorities and in accordance with the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO).
TTC is also helping lead the way for our industry to come out of this, by sharing its best practices with various other important industry players who are active members of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). WTTC has taken the important lead of driving the definition of new measures and protocols, with the goal to have all governments approve these as expeditiously as possible, across the 10 sectors that WTTC is focused on.
Expertly Trained Travel Directors
TTC's Travel Directors and Trip Managers will be trained in these new and enhanced hygiene and physical distancing procedures. They will operate caring duty of care and will monitor the hygiene etiquette of guests during their trips, reacting and advising as needed to ensure high standards are maintained. Also, they will have new preventative measures in place to try and ensure guests' well-being, and in the event that any unexpected issues arise on the trip, they will activate additional protocols.
A Full Team of Support 24/7
Not only will these Travel Directors and drivers take great care and concern for each guest on these guided journeys, but further, behind the scenes, TTC's operations and guest support teams are in contact with them and on call 24/7, so Travel Advisors and their clients can rest assured that they are in good hands.
Stringent on the Road Protocols
TTC's coaches are sanitized before the start of each trip and have always been kept to very high standards. Drivers will now be trained with the latest hygiene protocols and will clean and disinfect all surfaces including handrails, door handles, tables, seats, air-conditioning filters and overhead lockers on a daily basis. All of TTC's guests will be asked to follow hygiene practices recommended by the World Health Organization including the thorough and regular washing of hands and sanitizing when required. Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for the guests to use throughout the day. It will be encouraged for clients to bring their own washable face mask and gloves (as these are required to be worn in public in some countries, and on many airlines now), and to bring additional hand sanitizer with them. In addition, should an unexpected situation arise, additional face masks, rubber gloves, antiviral sprays and wipes will be readily available for guests on all trips.
Trusted Partners, Exceptional Partners
The Travel Corporation is very selective in who they work with and choose to only use hotels, restaurants, ground handlers and venues that take the health and well-being of their guests as seriously as TTC does and agree to meet expected guidelines and specifications. TTC will try hard to only work with establishments that they are confident will consistently adhere to our standards.
Physical Distancing
TTC will be adapting to the right size groups, based on government distancing requirements. Travel Agents' clients can be rest assured that they will travel with the comfort of their own personal space and have peace of mind that all of the experiences, hotels and restaurants they will enjoy on their trip have been vetted to ensure they adhere to physical distancing and hygiene guidelines required in each jurisdiction.
Smaller Groups, More Personal Space
With Luxury Gold's and Insight Vacations' smaller groups and customized coaches with fewer seats, guests not only enjoy twice the legroom of a standard coach but also more personal space on board. Smaller groups also mean less queuing whilst embarking and disembarking, as well as at hotels and attractions, so it is easier to maintain a comfortable physical distance. On their future trips, the brands have also worked to ensure their travelers are divided into smaller groups at each stop, so the required physical distancing is ensured.
In the Know
As part of The Travel Corporation (TTC), each travel brand is kept up to date with government advisories and travel alerts and is continually in touch with their partners on the ground in each destination. Now, under TTC's new protocols, their teams will work to try and ensure that their supplier partners (hotels, restaurants, museums and other venues) are also applying the same, new required hygiene and distancing protocols, to the extent possible.
TTC will be hosting agent training webinars on the future of travel and these newly enhanced protocols to assist agents in preparing for our new world. Travel Advisors will also receive brand emails and updates from their Sales Managers with dates and session times so they can register for these webinars.
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