ONE of the hardest hit by this pandemic is the tourism sector. It might need to have a full-scale plan right off for the “new normal” so it can get back on its feet as quickly as possible.
On May 22, 2020, the Department of Tourism released Memorandum Circular 2020-002, “health and safety guidelines for the operations of accommodation establishments.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) had released its suggested post-Covid-19 protocols for the hospitality industry all over the world. The protocols take guidance from the World Health Organization. They were meant to regain consumer confidence and safe travels.
The conduct code is divided into four pillars, namely, operational and staff preparedness, ensuring a safe experience, rebuilding trust and confidence and implementing enabling policies.
The protocol requires of hotels to revisit their sanitation practices and come up with their own programs in carrying out extra measures. Under the DOT’s memorandum, establishments are required to designate a Hygiene and Safety Manager who will oversee hygiene maintenance in the operations, from housekeeping to backrooms.
The DOT guidelines are pretty much to the detail, even specifying the preferred disinfection technologies that should be used by establishments.
Management teams are supposed to come up with their own Integrated Emergency Preparedness Action Plan and programs for occupational safety, health, disaster risk management, food safety, and business continuity.
What are worth noting both in the WTTC and DOT guidelines, though, are sections concerning the safety of workers. The WTTC encourages retraining of staff on infection control and hygiene, while the DOT memorandum specifies that management must invest on health plans for workers, such as health insurance policy, health card subscription, trust fund and health and wellness programs.
While at that, however, a cut in the allowable guests and staffing may cause a serious worry. The allowable 50 percent of its usual capacity in the number of guests and the downsizing to a skeleton staff will cause the displacement of a good number of employees.
This is probably where government may do an extra mile to spur the industry back to its usual verve without sacrificing labor. That, among other things, must also be considered as we bear the new normal.