ABTA launches post pandemic recovery guide to support destinations

ABTA – The Travel Association, has published a Post Pandemic Recovery guide to assist destinations and the travel industry in the complex transition to restarting travel.

The current pandemic has had a catastrophic impact globally and the travel and tourism industry has suffered on an unprecedented scale, and the guide, titled ‘Post Pandemic Recovery: A guide to assist destinations and the travel industry’ has been produced to support travel providers, suppliers, and destination governments to identify areas that should be considered when making modifications to operations as a result of the global crisis. 

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. Topics include:

• 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.”

“I’d like to thank the team of international experts and health and safety consultancy companies who contributed to the production of this guide: BeSafe Ltd, IGI Ltd, Intertek Cristal, Preverisk Group, Professor Rodney Cartwright and Travelife for Accommodation. Their expertise has been invaluable.”

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.

ABTA’s Destinations team has also developed a ‘Country recovery plans’ page, available in the Member Zone on abta.com, to host guidance documents that ABTA has received from Destination Governments or their Tourism Associations, detailing their own countries’ specific recovery plans and health and hygiene initiatives. Members can utilize this as part of their own destination recovery planning process and this area is updated as further destination recovery plans are received by ABTA. Countries can send any new information to resort@abta.co.uk for inclusion. 

ABTA is hosting a webinar titled ‘Destination Health and Safety for Post Pandemic Recovery’ on 1 July where further details and insights from ABTA’s new guide will be discussed. This webinar is free to attend for ABTA Members and Partners, non-Members are welcome to pay to attend. To find out more and register visit: abta.com/webinars. 

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