Kenya’s tourism sector has developed tourism and hospitality protocols on health and safety to mitigate the effects of the disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease in business and people’s livelihoods. Actors in the tourism sector have, therefore, through the adoption of these protocols, taken the responsibility for ensuring that destination Kenya is safe for tourism business.
The objectives of the protocols are to:
- Inculcate institutional Operational and Staff Preparedness to ensure service provision that meets World Health Organisation guidelines and Kenya’s Ministry of Health measures aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19.
- Ensure a safe experience for visitors/guests and service providers.
- Rebuild trust and confidence hence increasing and sustaining demand for holidays and investment in the destination.
- Implement enabling policies and guidelines thus provide a step-by-step process of a careful reopening and restart of business in the tourism sector
Mara Expeditions - Health and Safety Protocols
There is without a doubt not a single decided end to be found to the COVID-19 pandemic albeit worldwide endeavours to discover vaccine(s) and create rules on the most proficient method to live with COVID-19 have picked force.
Is it safe to travel to Kenya amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic?
Our answer is YES. Kenya has been recorded among the 80 worldwide objections affirmed and approved to utilize the "World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) "Safe Travel Stamp" after the objectives received the worldwide COVID-19 health and hygiene standardized protocols.
This stamp takes into consideration the acknowledgement of Kenya as a reasonable holiday safari destination subject to the execution of the health and safety conventions.
Our COVID-19 health and safety protocols:
Mara Expeditions has embraced the travel industry and friendliness conventions on health and safety to relieve the impacts of the disruptions brought about by the Covid virus and assumed the liability of guaranteeing that objective Kenya is safe for the tourism industry business.
Protocols for Mara Expeditions offices & staff:
- All our core staff have legitimate Coronavirus free certification not more than 14 days old from a perceived government affirmed facility at the first run through and along these lines keep up Covid-19 counteraction rules recommended by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and pertinent organizations.
- We have given endorsed facemasks, hand sanitisers/handwashing station with running water and cleanser at the passage and at other vital areas in the premises which are hygienically operated.
- We have given a contactless thermometer for body temperature check at the entrance for both staff and visitors.
- Have recorded Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for visitor Management line with these conventions and MOH Covid-19 preventive rules as appropriate.
- We have made and will keep a register of all staff and drivers.
- All staff have been instructed to wash or disinfect hands before and immediately after entering the work premises, in the wake of changing into regalia, in the wake of utilizing storage spaces and much of the time while on move, especially subsequent to contacting things or surfaces.
- All our staff workplaces have an arrangement for sufficient ventilation and boosted through wide open-able windows.
- We have given obvious notification/signage and other sensitization information at the essential areas/entrance on Covid-19 preventive measures, screening, regular hand washing and disinfection and required wearing of face masks.
- We have a Guest/guests register that will be kept and updated every day and incorporate mobile contact and actual location for ease in contact tracing.
- We have integrated technologies to enable automation, such as online, mobile payment and discouraging cash payments.
- We have an archived rundown of crisis contacts, announcing framework and clearing strategies for any emerging wellbeing-related episodes at our workplaces.
- We have created office staff work timetables and shifts and provided the option of working from home for some of our staff.
- All our public facilities (kitchen, washrooms, lobby/lounge etc) shall adhere to social distancing, frequent cleaning and disinfection and be provided with an adequate supply of hand washing and sanitizing facilities. Staff have been trained on the same.
- We have created cleaning systems with proper sanitisers/sanitisers' zeroing in on visitors' bodies, baggage, travel records and high-recurrence contact focuses/surfaces.
- Guest/guests register will be kept and updated every day and ought to incorporate mobile contact and actual location for ease in tracing. Whenever possible, minimize walk-in clients and encourage online bookings.
Protocols for airport transfers, excursions & safari operations:
- We will ensure that all our safari transfer vehicles are properly cleaned and sanitized during and after each trip/ transfer.
- We will provide packed picnic lunches for the long drive to avoid unnecessary stop-overs.
- We shall ensure drivers and guides use suitable communication gadgets for vehicles carrying more than 7 passengers to communicate with guests to avoid turning or shouting to enable them to be heard by guests.
- We will maintain a register of clients transported or who have interacted with the tour guides.
- We shall ensure our safari/ transfer vehicles are sanitized before the start of each trip and this will include cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces (handrails, door handles, seats etc.) at regular times during the course of the trip.
- Particular attention shall be given to luggage disinfection before and after handling.
- We shall encourage open windows when weather permits, to allow air circulation in all our safari and transfer vehicles.
- We will limit the number of staff accompanying guests on every trip as deemed appropriate.
- We shall ensure the information provided (like the tourist map) is stuck on the back of the chairs of the vehicle to minimize contact.
- Only the driver guide will be permitted to open doors for the clients to minimize touching contaminated surfaces where applicable. The driver shall sanitize
- We will endeavour to educate office staff, driver guides and customers about their shared responsibility to help protect each other in a Covid-19 environment.
- Maintain an appropriate and reliable list of emergency contacts for rapid assistance in case of health and safety-related instances. This list will be stuck in each of our safari/transfer vehicles.
- We will instruct and urge our visitors to limit/avoid paying using cash at restaurants, curio shops etc. Online, and Mobile payment or credit/debit cards are encouraged.
- Disposable approved and quality facemasks and sanitisers will be made accessible in the vehicle for use consistently.
- Our drivers will not be permitted to make stopovers at any other place apart from the prearranged designated point or areas.
- All our vehicles will convey a limit that guarantees social distance between visitors voyaging together. Land cruisers/ vans and similar vehicles with similar carrying capacity will not surpass 7 travellers.
- Mara Expeditions will only choose partners that are confirmed to comply with existing Government directives for the safe handling of their guests. This includes but is not limited to hotels, airlines, boats, crew e.t.c.
- Any provided water bottles or items shall be labelled with each guest's name to avoid sharing or use by another.
- Binoculars and cameras will not be shared and will be sanitized consistently.
- Families, tour groups and couples shall be allocated to a specific vehicle and a guide for the duration of their stay to minimize exposure to other guests and guides.
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