Activities

The guide of guidelines and recommendations elaborated by the ICTE in collaboration with CEFAPIT (Spanish Confederation of Federations and Associations of Tourist Guides) includes the new requirements and recommendations that these professionals will have to contemplate in the rendering of services among which it stands out preventive measures for the design of their activities like the establishment of one-way routes to avoid crossing with other groups, to avoid areas of agglomerations or reduced spaces with limited capacity.

The guide also establishes that the guide must limit the maximum number of people to whom the service can be offered safely; make explanatory stops in open places or establish a single point for getting on or picking up users, in order to concentrate explanations regarding behaviour and the hygienic-sanitary measures to be taken.

In addition, the document establishes that the tourist guide must ask the suppliers with which he wants to contract a service, such as accommodation, restaurants, coaches, museums, monuments or visitor centres, the protocols that will be applied in each of them to comply with the hygienic-sanitary measures and to avoid contagion by Covid-19. If this is not possible, at least those with whom we work most will be asked.

In this way, the guides will have the challenge of working with their suppliers to ensure compliance with safety measures. In this sense, they will also be in charge of managing the entrance to museums, monuments and hotels in a staggered manner, in order to comply with the measures applied in each of these spaces.

Furthermore, if the visit includes a bus service or similar, this will be carried out in accordance with the regulations in force at any given time: space between clients, safety distance from the driver, etc. It is also recommended that guides prioritize the hiring of service providers who have implemented prevention protocols against Covid-19.

Guidelines at the beginning of each visit
Tourists who contract a visit will receive, in addition to the estimate, a document clarifying the preventive measures to be taken in terms of health and safety during the development of the service, preferably in the customer’s native language, or, failing that, in English. These safety measures will also be communicated at the beginning of each visit, where tourists will be reminded of the importance of respecting safety distances, not touching surfaces or wearing a mask.

Regarding the materials provided during visits, such as the radio guides, these must be properly disinfected or single-use. Alternatives, such as applications that work with the tourist’s mobile phone, can also be considered. Maps and brochures should also not be given during visits, at least as a general rule, since if this is not possible, they should be plasticized and easily cleaned and disinfected.

In addition, when paying, the use of cash will be avoided and priority will be given to the use of cards or other electronic means and prior payment by website.

A contingency plan designed by the guides
On the other hand, the protocol entrusted by the Secretariat of State for Tourism to the ICTE for these professionals includes the need to implement a contingency plan that includes all the security measures that will be applied during the visits. It will also have to reflect, among other issues, the additional measures to be taken in the event that a client with Covid-19 compatible symptoms is observed and the allocation of material resources, including the determination of the use of Personal Protection Equipment (EPIS) according to the needs derived from the previous analysis.

Consult the specification guide for tourist guides produced by ICTE