Guides, Tour Leaders & Airport Coordinator

Obligations for Guides, Tour Leaders and Airport Coordinator

  • Know and have Kallpa’s protocols to be followed.
  • During the briefing / welcome of the passengers, they will inform about the sanitary measures that govern each place in addition to their planned activities.
  • Have your own sanitary kit. 
  • Use at all time face covering.
  • Have alcohol gel at the disposal of the paxs throughout the tour.
  • Keep the required social distancing and avoiding any greetings that involve physical contact, kissing, hugging or hand-shaking. 
  • The specialized guide will make sure to apply all the relevant procedures and protocols for the transport of tourists, when it is included in the provision of services, and will comply with the guidelines set by the health authorities for the transfer of people in small and medium vehicles.
  • Establish and inform external meeting points in order to avoid crowds in passenger arrival areas, hotel lobbies, etc., preferably via digital means.
  • Plan all stops intended for the use of public restrooms in locations where proper hygiene of the facilities have been previously checked.
  • Disinfect working tools and instruments, such as pens, folders, passenger identification signs, badges, and personal items such as glasses, keys and mobile phones thoroughly and frequently.
  • It is advisable to use personal microphones. If they need to be shared, use disposable covers or plastic wrap so that they may be properly disinfected prior to and after handling.
  • Report and leave a record of any COVID-19-related incident that may take place during the tour or guided visit.

Recommendations for Guides, Tour Leaders, Airport Coordinator

  • They will try to avoid crowds and spend a long time in closed places or poorly ventilated places. 
  • Before the starting of the activity ensure that the vehicle was ventilated.
  • Inform the cancellation or rescheduling policy of the provision of the service in the presence of symptoms compatible with COVID -19 disease in passengers, visitors or guides.
  • It is suggested that each passenger bring their own equipment and personal items to carry out the activity such as binoculars for birds watching, trekking pole, sanitary kit, individual box lunch, individual waste bag, among others. If provided by the guide ensure the correct disinfection.
  • Use a checklist to make sure that all safety and personal protection equipment required for performing the activity and preventing the spread of COVID-19 is available
  • Be aware of the responsibility involved and the role appointed in the crisis committee to guarantee compliance with the protocol to be followed. 
  • In activities that involve picking up passengers at accommodation facilities, tour guides should approach the front-desk staff to give their name and wait for the passenger outside the facilities, as long as permitted by weather conditions.
  • Check that passengers and/or visitors use their personal protection equipment properly throughout the activity. Make sure that face masks cover nose, mouth and chin and that the required social distancing is kept.
  • Check that no items belonging to the passengers or visitors have been left in the vehicle. If a lost item is found, place it inside a bag to be returned to the operator’s agency or hotel later. Once the vehicle has been checked, wash hands immediately.

Accommodation Suppliers

Accommodation suppliers obligation

  • All personnel having direct contact with guests & guests must wear face coverings inside the establishment (if it is so required under local regulations).
  • Implement a temperature measurement system at the entrance of the facility for guests and personnel. 
  • Each guest must carry their luggage.
  • Breakfast/Meals: there will be no buffet breakfast in all the hotels. Roomservice, à la carte breakfast or take away service will be prioritized (depending on the hotel). Guests will choose the option during check- in. Reduced capacity in restaurants. Avoid laying down utensils, plates, glasses, etc. on the tables before customers sit down.  A digital menu (QR code), menu via whatsapp or a laminated paper menu for easy disinfection will be available. 
  • Make alcohol-based hand sanitizers available in all shared spaces and ensure that water and soap are available in restrooms and that there is always adequate supply.
  • Arrange tables, chairs, other furniture so as to ensure that the minimum safe distance is kept in breakfast, dining and multipurpose rooms.
  • Workers must be trained and educated on how to detect COVID-19 symptoms and on COVID-19 prevention measures as per the official information disseminated by the Ministry of Health of the Argentine Republic.
  • The hotel must contact the jurisdictional health authority through the mechanism established by it, the presence of guests with symptomatic manifestations.
  • In cabins, hostel rooms and tents in campsites, sanitization of sleeping bags and daily ventilation will be carried out. In the tents it will be done once the passenger checks out. Thorough cleaning will be applied to surfaces and elements such as tent rods, canvas covers, fasteners, etc.

Recommendations for accommodation service providers.

  • It is suggested to digitize the check-in / check-out process with the aim of minimizing interactions between people and surfaces. Physical distancing will be maintained during the process. Avoid the use of pen and cash payments.
  • The establishments will have more exhaustive cleaning and disinfection protocols:
    • Each work space and customer service area must have intensified cleaning and disinfection schedules for all the usual contact surfaces of workers and guests. The frequency will be established depending on the traffic and number of people, ensuring surface cleaning and frequent contact at least three times a day.
    • Ventilation: 

a) Adopt the necessary measures for daily and recurrent ventilation of common spaces.

b) Those common spaces that do not have the possibility of complying with the necessary ventilation (fixed window spaces without openings to the outside) should be restricted in their use.

c) The spaces of constant circulation of people must have permanent ventilation.

  • Diffuse recommendations from the National Ministry of Health and the local health authority. Display OFFICIAL prevention information and telephone numbers that the Ministry of Health of the Nation and the local authorities have determined for the attention of the coronavirus problem in common circulation spaces.

General Information

  • Passengers with compatible symptoms to COVID 19 will not be admitted.
  • Consider choosing regular excursions on a reduced basis (in cases where regular Bus and Van services are offered).
  • Consider booking a larger vehicle in case the transfer is with a guide.
  • Consider not having any snack to minimize the manipulation of elements to reduce the chances of direct transmission.

How to proceed in the event of a suspected or positive case of COVID-19.

In Kallpa, a Crisis Committee will be established with all the parties involved, who will establish and monitor the protocol to be followed, as well as those responsible for ensuring its compliance

  1. If suspected symptoms are shown in a passenger during the journey, the driver of the unit or the coordinator guide must be alerted. The person will be kept isolated from the rest of the group and the local health authorities must be contacted. The tour will be reprogrammed preserving the social distancing to avoid the transmission and spread of the virus.
  2. The travelers country agency must be reported immediately of the situation. 
  3. Until the health authorities intervene, respiratory hygiene measures must be extreme (covering the mouth with the elbow flexed when coughing or sneezing), hand washing and social distancing (avoid contact or closeness to other people).
  4. The passenger and or the companions will be contacted to provide telephone assistance. Then the client will be informed.
  5. If the passenger had services previously, the providers of the services or persons that have been in contact with the traveler must be informed.

Attention to injured persons must be carried out according to the protocol of each activity. When it is not possible to maintain social distancing, respiratory protection, hygiene and disinfection measures must be taken to the extreme.

Information for travelers

Passenger obligations:

  • Use face covering. During trekking or hiking, it is possible to remove the face covering, always taking care to maintain the minimum distance required.
  • Use face covering on public areas of the hotels.
  • Keep  physical and social distance (1.5 mts).
  • Each person should carry and handle their luggage.
  • If you have suspected symptoms compatible with COVID 19, do not take excursions or any other service and immediately inform the agency.
  • Each passenger when boarding the bus must disinfect their hands using recommended methods for cleaning and sanitizing.
  • If suspected symptoms are shown in a passenger during the journey,the driver of the unit or the coordinator guide must be alerted. The person will be kept isolated from the rest of the group and the local health authorities must be contacted immediately.
  • Each passenger will have a designed seat which must be respected throughout the tour.

Recommendations for passengers

  • Before travelling, check your health.
  • We recommend that passengers have valid travel insurance for the destination and trip type on which they are embarking. Ensuring that the policy covers all COVID19 travel risk.
  • Avoid crowded and not properly ventilated places.
  • Each person should have their individual equipment (food, drink). Sharing utensils and food is not recommended.
  • The way of serving breakfast will  depend on the hotel.
  • Whenever there is space available in the vehicle, passengers are recommended to leave a free seat between those who share a room or are a family group and those who are part of another group or stay in another room.
  • In hotels and accommodations it is suggested to avoid sharing the elevator with other guests. It will have to be used individually or with the people with whom you share a room.