ABTA launches post-pandemic reopening guide

ABTA has published a post-pandemic recovery guide to help UK destinations, and the national travel industry as a whole, through the tricky task of restarting travel.

Developed by ABTA’s Destinations team and a range of external experts, it provides a holistic view of the actions that suppliers of travel and tourism services can take to transition through the operational recovery planning and management process.

The guide is not intended to replace local government or public health authority guidance but has been designed to complement the ABTA Tourism Accommodation Health and Safety Technical Guide and other ABTA publications and guidance. Users of the guide will be able to identify key operational, service and safety factors that should be considered and introduced in accordance with the local authorities and local public health requirements before they recommence operations and introduce processes that make sure these factors are maintained once their operations resume.

“The recovery process should be made in a balanced and proportionate way”

The guide’s content includes:

• The customer journey
• Management responsibility
• Risk assessment
• Refinement of operational and service provisions and procedures
• Health, safety and security
• Communication
• Supply chain management
• Prevention of spread of infection

Angela Hills, ABTA’s Head of Destinations, says: “For many years the ABTA Destinations team has worked with destination governments, local authorities, accommodation, transport and excursion providers, and other suppliers of tourist services to support good health and safety management for the benefit of customers and workers in the tourism sector.

“As we collectively embark on the road to restarting travel, it’s important that we continue to collaborate with and support relevant stakeholders to give confidence that people can travel safely again. Any changes to operations or safety practices as part of the recovery process should be made in a balanced and proportionate way, with the primary focus being the safety and wellbeing of staff and customers and should be in accordance with the legislation and public health requirements of the destination concerned.”

The guide is available for free to all ABTA Members, who are encouraged to share it with their destination management companies and the accommodation, transportation and excursion providers that they work with. ABTA Partners and non-Members can purchase it via abta.com/shop. It is available in English and is currently being translated into eight further languages – Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.