Protocols for tourism activities or for travelers during or post COVID-19 in Nepal

And just like in a fantasy movie, the world changed overnight. A disease which has never been seen or even heard before, attacked the world and brought the humans to their knees. 3 months and counting even after World Health Organization (WHO) declared it as a global pandemic, the virus, known as COVID-19 or Coronavirus disease which is a newly discovered and is highly infectious in nature, is still spreading like a wildfire in the world. One can easily be infected by breathing in the virus if he or she is within the close distance of the infected person or this virus can easily be transmitted to a person through the droplets generated by an infected person while coughing, sneezing and exhaling. Touching the contaminated surface and then onto your eyes, nose and mouth also being the main reason of virus spreading.

But the life has to go on and the people now have to live with it until the vaccine or solution is created to the virus. The world has to adapt a new lifestyle and the way of traveling too. There has to be extra precautions taken and extra carefulness. Like they say, “Prevention is better than cure”. Keeping this in mind, even in Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in cooperation with Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) had long been discussing this with the tourism intellectuals or a group of experts to bring out the guidelines in the form of PROTOCOLS and here it is finally.

In this particular article, we are going to highlight the protocols for the tourism related tours and adventure activities as mentioned in the operational guideline.

PROTOCOLS FOR TOURS AND ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES:

The Directives issued by the Health and Population Ministry, High Level COVID-19 committee and NTB HHS Protocols are to be strictly followed during activities.

These activities and protocols are for the operation of tours and adventure activities, keeping in mind the SAFETY of teams, travelers and communities.

NOTE: Due to the contact intensive nature of Aqua and Aerial (rafting, kayak, canyoning, bungee jumping, paragliding and others) activities, it is recommended that these activities are offered only to:

1. Same group

2. People who are traveling together

3. Families

OVERALL:

All teams working in the conduction of tours and adventure activities should go through a training that includes:

1. Prevention of Infection, Breaking the Chain and Hygiene Protocols

2. Physical Distancing Protocols

3. Emergency Protocols

4. Dynamic Problem Solving

5. Updated First Aid Training.

· An updated training record should be maintained by all members of the team as proof of the training.

· The activity leader should also be trained in passing on the important points of the training to other members of the team during the course of the operation.

· All activity leaders have to maintain a Daily Leader Log according in a pre-established format to record itinerary and points of contact to facilitate contact tracing should the need arise. This could include daily temperature checks and self-administered symptoms formed by the clients.

· Daily briefings to include hygiene, physical distancing and emergency protocols need to be done. Daily communication when possible with the office to report and get updates on the overall situation, so itinerary can be followed and adapted according to the situation.

· First Aid Kits with every leader containing extra masks, disposable gloves, soaps and/or sanitizers.

· Leaders should be mindful of communities where the tours and adventure activities are happening and minimize the chances of contamination.

· Activity leaders should work alongside other leaders in a destination to ensure minimal risk of contamination and maintain a high level of hygiene.

PROTOCOLS FOR CLIENTS / TRAVELERS:

1. Travelers should bring their own masks with them to use when traveling.
2. Travelers should inform guide/leader of any symptoms of any sort of illnesses.
3. Travelers should have travel medical insurance that includes helicopter evacuation, and the travel medical company should insure that clients would be medevaced out in case of any illness.
4. Travelers shall agree to follow the company’s health and safety protocol in case of any suspected case of virus transmission or illness within the group of within the area.
5. Travelers shall be requested to carry their own sanitizer with them in their packs at all times.

PROTOCOLS FOR TOURING:

1. Tour group shall maintain distance from other groups and local communities.
2. In the initial stage, lunchboxes shall be used for in-tour meals and eventually use a set of restaurants accredited for their hygiene levels and adherence to the restaurant protocol.
3. Tour leader shall ensure group understands the various protocols of hygiene and physical distancing.
4. Tour leader always has an updated First Aid Kit and has extra masks and sanitizers, and is trained on how to use the kit.
5. Regular contact with the office to know ground situations.
6. Tour leader is trained regularly on the Emergency Protocol in case there is an outbreak (within the group or in the area where the group is touring).

PROTOCOLS FOR TREKKING, HIKING AND MOUNTAINEERING:

1. All Trekkers and Mountaineers as with GT and Mountaineering group, FITs should trek with authorized agencies/licensed guides to ensure safety.
2. Mountaineering/GT/FITs should not make any changes in the approved trekking itinerary.
3. Group size should be 2-15 people only.
4. The Tour Leader must report health status of group members in all the health posts that lie in the trekking route, also have health check-up done. These reports are to be submitted regularly to the Agency for future contact tracing.
5. The group shall mandatorily have Health Check-ups of all the trekkers in Health check posts on trekking route.
6. Group Health Check records including before and after report should be submitted by Agency to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
7. A clearance letter confirming responsible disposal/return of non-biodegradable garbage has to be obtained from the local government body or authorized entity in the trekking area.

PROTOCOLS FOR CAMPING TREKS:

DINING TENT & CAMP PROTOCOLS

1. Dining tent should be well ventilated and large enough to have 1 meter space between trekkers.
2. Consider ways to get into and out of dining tent without having to use common zip.
3. Plenty of sanitizer in push-top container inside dining tent.
4. Warm washing water and soap provided outside dining tent.
5. Avoid using common towel for drying hands.
6. Have separate bowls for clients for snacks so that clients are sharing serving utensils as little as possible.
7. Have guide serve snacks, meals and tea so clients do not share common plates and utensils.
8. Clients and staff inside tent must leave tent when they cough or sneeze, or at the very least cough into their elbow or shirt.
9. Clients must wear masks in dining tent (they should bring their own).
10. The trekking company should have a full medical kit including lots of extra masks, inhalers, plastic gloves, thermometers and oxygen cylinders.

KITCHEN TENT, GUIDE & STAFF PROTOCOLS

1. Staffs should be well trained to understand hygiene safety and health protocol.
2. Staffs should wear masks at all times at camp of when shopping for local supplies.
3. Sterilize all utensils, bowls, plates and mugs for use in dining tent (steam for 10 mins).
4. Kitchen tent should have plenty of sanitizer (push-top container), soap and water.
5. Kitchen tent should have plenty of clean towels for drying all plates, cups and utensils (for clients). Wash after every use.
6. The usual distancing precautions should be observed when shopping for local supplies. Bring own reusable shopping bags and wash when finished shopping.
7. Guide and all staffs would set a good example of adhering to the protocol for the clients to follow.
8. Guide should brief both staffs and clients about ‘H.H.S. Protocol’ before and during the trek, and make sure that both staffs and clients are following these guidelines.
9. Guide should include in the daily briefing, anything that have to do with interactions with locals or village protocol during that day’s trek.
10. Guide should actively keep an eye on the medical condition of all clients.
11. Guides will carry appropriate satellite communications to report any emergency, evacuation of any sick, or potentially infected clients.

CLIENT PROTOCOLS

1. All clients will be in single tents, except for couples or people who have traveled to Nepal together. Consider providing single tents without charging for single supplement.
2. Clients shall agree (in writing) that they might have to leave the trek if the guide deems this to be medically necessary, possibly with the consent of their travel medical insurance company.

HIKING & TRAVEL PROTOCOLS

1. The group shall not hand out sweets or other things to kids of locals while trekking or at camp. Although it’s certainly possible to keep items brought from home virus-free, if there was a virus outbreak in a village it might be linked to trekking group.
2. The group shall maintain distance from other trekking groups and villagers.
3. The group shall not invite other people into dining, kitchen or personal tents (serve tea or snacks to locals outside all tents).
4. The group shall not enter villagers’ houses; have encounters with villagers except at a safe distance.
5. Only Namaste, no hugs or handshakes with anyone at any time.

PROTOCOLS FOR TEAHOUSE/ LODGE TREKS:

1. All clients shall have single rooms, (wherever applicable) except for couples or people who have traveled to Nepal together.
2. All groups shall maintain social and physical distancing as per protocol from other trekking groups, lodge staffs and locals.
3. Follow protocol guidelines for shopping, interactions with locals as on camping treks.
4. The guide shall advise clients to only shop from local shops where safety guidelines are being adhered.
5. The guide shall advise clients to strictly follow health protocols in lodges (coughing into elbow or shirt, wearing masks, not handling common condiment containers without clean hands, not touching door handles without clean hands, not using any common towels, etc).
6. The guide shall ensure that the lodge owners and staff are maintaining their property as per established guidelines.
7. The guide shall make sure that the kitchen facilities and rooms in the lodges are clean, sanitized and sterilized.

PROTOCOLS FOR TRANSPORTATION:

This is a standard protocol for anyone operating vehicles: be it Hotels, Tour Operators or solely vehicle operators.

It is important to acknowledge that pandemic planning is not a stand-alone project, but should be integrated with existing crisis management structures and procedures in order to be effective. It is crucial to involve business units directly into this planning. Vehicle operators should take the following precautions to keep themselves and their passengers protected:

· Monitor staff/ guest’s health more closely than usual for COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath.

· Proposed rule of thumb for passenger per vehicle:

a) Car: 1/2 pax + 1 (driver)

b) 12 seater Jumbo: 6 pax + 1

c) 20-22 seater Coaster: 10 pax + 1

d) 35 seater Bus: 15 pax + 1

· Practice healthy personal hygiene:

a) Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Cover cough and sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve. Do not use your hands. Immediately throw out tissues and wash your hands afterward. Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Have tissues and hand sanitizer in your vehicle for your passengers.
b) Do not shake hands. Instead, wave or do Namaste. If you do physical interact with a customer, remember to wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer after every interaction.

· Clean and disinfect your vehicle routinely. When cleaning and disinfecting:

a) Pay special attention to surfaces and objects that are touched often by passengers, such as door handles. Window buttons, locks, arm rests, seat cushions, buckles and seat belts. Also wipe down surfaces that you frequently touch, such as the steering wheel, radio buttons, turn indicators and cup holders.
b) Use regular disinfectant products (for example, Clorox, peroxide or alcohol-based multipurpose products) that are appropriate for the surface. Keep the vehicle doors open while cleaning and disinfecting.
c) Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and only use them once. Throw gloves in the trash after use and wash hands immediately with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wait until all surfaces have dried before giving a ride to a passenger.

· Maintain social (physical) distancing while transporting customers.

· Keeping yourself and your passengers safe:

a) Companies should share relevant health and hygiene information with passengers before the trip.
b) Create more personal space. Keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, wherever possible.
c) Ask passengers to sit in the back to create physical distance. If the vehicle has a partition, close the partition before picking up passengers. If the vehicle does not have a partition, consider putting up a clear plastic barrier between the front and back of the vehicle (note: barrier should not affect rear view mirror visibility).
d) Transport only those passengers who are in the same party/ group. Group rides (also known as “shared” or “pooled” rides) should be avoided at all cost.
e) Essential workers are required to wear a face covering at work if they have direct contact with customers or others.
f) Staffs must wear a face covering when transporting passengers or when otherwise within 6 feet of customers or others. A face covering is any well-secured paper or cloth (like a bandana or scarf) that covers your mouth and nose. Employers must provide face coverings to employees at employer’s expense.
g) Whenever possible, set ventilation to non-recirculated air mode in both the driver and passenger compartment. Open windows if this is not an option.
h) Have tissues and hand sanitizers available for your passengers.
i) Maintain logbook of all fuel stops, repair and maintenance location for future contact tracing.
j) Place multilingual safety information leaflets for your passengers in your back seat.
k) High levels of hygiene in all parts of terminals, rest areas (e.g. along the motorways), covered parking facilities, fuelling and charging stations, should be ensured.
l) Passenger flow management should be implemented at stations. Where adequate levels of hygiene cannot be ensured, the closing of certain shops or stations should be considered.
m) Safe operating practices should be introduced, including, for example, rear door boarding and the use of windows for ventilation as much as possible instead of air conditioning.
n) In addition, seating should be optimized to the extent feasible (e.g. families can sit together, while persons not traveling together should be separated).

RECOMMENDED GREEN TIPS FOR TOURIST VEHICLES

1. Limit the use of Air-conditioning. Try opening the vehicle window for fresh air instead.

2. Keep waste bins inside the vehicle for segregated waste disposal.

3. Encourage use of refillable bottles.

4. Discourage use of old vehicles to reduce air pollution.

5. Replace plastic bags with paper bags.

6. Use paper sickness bags.

PROTOCOLS FOR AQUA (WATER)/ AERIAL/ OTHER ACTIVITIES:

Since Aqua and Aerial activities are contact intensive, additional protocols are being considered for maximizing safety during these activities.

AERIAL/ OTHERS: To follow same protocols as in Adventure activities for hygiene and safety issues.

FOR RAFTING/ CANOEING/ KAYAKING/ CANYONING

Overall

1. Make available hand sanitizer, mask and glove for staffs and clients.

2. Code of conduct to be displayed prominently for guest assurance.

3. Rafts, Oars, Life Jackets, Vehicle, Kitchen, Dining, Utensils, Tents, Mattresses, Sleeping Bags, etc. should be sanitized as per above protocols.

Protective Equipment

1. Wear masks and gloves, use sanitizer and other protective accessories

2. Wash hands after every contact with any objects or surfaces as per need

3. Stay at a minimum of 1 meter distance from each other

On the Raft

1. Each client shall have minimum 1 m distance inside the raft.

2. Family members shall maintain 1 m minimum distance and as per raft capacity.

CAMPING/ ACCOMMODATION: To follow same protocol as in trekking/camping

Others

1. To maintain 1 m space when queuing up for booking service, boarding the vehicle, meals, boarding the raft, in all areas where service is being received and throughout the entire journey.

2. Group distancing shall be determined according to the nature of the clients like FITs, Groups, Family and domestic tourists.

3. Ensure crowding is avoided and distancing is maintained in all public places.

4. Limited contact to communities when camping.

5. Ensure proper management of Waste/Garbage materials at camp site.

6. Health check-up is compulsory for all the participants at the beginning and the end of the activities in nearby Health check post. Its records should be maintained and submitted to DOT.

RECOMMENDED GREEN TIP FOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES:

Leave no trace, only footprints; bring out what you bring in, burn paper but not plastic, leave the campsite the way you found it, or better. Work with each national park or trekking region to have a system like Upper Mustang. Camping groups register at the check posts with a list of all cans and bottles into the park and have to bring the same number back out when they leave.

Involve the staff and trekkers in cleaning up the trails and campsites as they travel through the region. Trekking in these mountain regions is a privilege which should be respected, and encouraging the trekkers to get involved will create a sense of responsibility in a positive way!

· Decant as much as possible from glass and container into reusable plastic containers.

· Carry out all cans, bottles and plastics.

· Separate trash in the dining and kitchen tents, burn dry paper trash but not plastics, bury organic waste.

· Make sure the toilet tents have a deep hole and are completely covered when finished! Toilet tents should be away from all springs and water sources, and not in the middle of any flat, potential tent spot.

· Make sure the trekkers are also bringing out their trash, and not putting things like used batteries into the common trash container.

· Encourage staff and trekkers to clean up campsites. We sometimes have a purifying puja – burning Juniper – after we’ve cleaned a campsite so that the staffs feel proud of what they have achieved.

· Buy locally as much as possible to support the local mountain economies.

· Encourage trekkers to wash hair and body using a bucket dumped approximately 3 meters from the stream, or to bring biodegradable soap if they are going to wash in a stream.

· Discuss respectfully keeping these mountain regions clean with villagers to maintain a sort of ‘Beyul’. And discuss appropriate clothing with trekkers, again encouraging them to respect these remote regions.

· Be an ambassador for Responsible Tourism – ‘Leave No Trace, Only Footprints’ and ensure sustainable travel.

So, these are the major things mentioned in the ‘Operational Guideline with Health Protocol for Tourism Sector’ which are important for the treks, tours and adventure related companies and the travelers alike. This is all for ourselves to stay safe and to keep others safe.

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours hereby promise to follow all of these guidelines ourselves and to take our clients to the journeys implementing the health and safety measures and following the travel protocols. We assure you that you are in safe and happy hands with us. Please do write to us as soon as you have any questions or concerns. Looking forward to see you soon. HIMALAYAS AND THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO GO.