Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has issued detailed guidelines for travel service providers, hotels, restaurants, B&Bs and homestays operating in the country.
Travel service providers: The protocols are applicable to service providers engaged in the management of both international and domestic tourists. These include travel agents, tour operators (inbound, domestic and adventure), tourist transport operators and tourist facilitators/guides. Guidelines include:
- Booking to be accepted for tourists with no medical history of the virus in the last 28 days, especially in the case of inbound travellers.
- Necessary medical proof or health declaration may be sought for inbound travellers.
- Details on age, medical history and allergies etc. of the traveller needs to be recorded.
- Online bookings with cashless transactions are mandatory.
- Small group tours recommended with a maximum of ten to 15 people to enable smooth implementation of social distancing.
- All vehicles must be thoroughly disinfected prior to boarding of tourists. Use of fibreglass partition between the driver and passenger’s seat in buses and cars is recommended.
- Emergency numbers should be displayed on all vehicles and made available with all employees and tourists.
- Use of disposable seat covers, headrest covers are recommended for all vehicles.
- Greet the tourists saying “Namaste”. Avoid shaking hands.
- Ensure temperature check and mask usage before vehicle boarding. Detailed SOP and format of the health declaration form can be found here.
B&B and homestays/farmstays
- Thermal gun, sanitisers, masks and gloves for guests and staff members.
- Guests and hosts to have Aarogya Setu app for the survey.
- Guests cannot enter the kitchen, and disposable cutlery should be used for dining.
- In case suspected guests flee or are not traceable, inform the police immediately. Travel itinerary may be sought from the guests to ensure traceability.
- Guest details need to be submitted in advance for guest registration along with government-approved identity card, any other information required by the accommodation provided via email/Whatsapp.
- Information on travel history and medical condition are recommended to be captured for all guests. Detailed SOP
Safety protocols for hotels and restaurants include 50 per cent seating capacity in restaurants, use of technology over human interactions, contactless check-in through QR codes in hotels and disinfecting high touchpoints. Read Business Traveller India’s report on Unlock 1.0 to get more information on the government guidelines for operating restaurants and hotels.
