Following the UNWTO’s lead, ATTA encourages its community to respond to COVID-19, the virus caused by novel coronavirus, in a measured and consistent way, proportionate to the public health threat and based on local risk assessment, involving every part of the tourism value chain – public bodies, private companies, and tourists. International collaboration and cooperation is needed to ensure the tourism industry, which is so important to the global economy, can rebound and rebuild. Below, we are gathering resources on strategies for adventure travel businesses and destinations to cope with the current situation. Submit your strategies and your questions in the comment section below.
ATTA Adventure Travel COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines
- Find the Adventure Travel COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines in English here
- Find the Adventure Travel COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines in Spanish here
Live Updates
The latest information on travel restrictions, requirements, and reopenings from various travel monitoring websites:
- IATA: Travel Regulations Map
- Travel Weekly: Global Travel Restrictions and Rules
- CDC: COVID-19 Travel Recommendations
- CDC: Country-Specific COVID-19 Information
- CIBT Visas: The Latest International Entry Requirements
- Global Rescue: Coronavirus Daily Updates
- Forbes: Master List Of Airline Coronavirus Change and Cancellation Policies (Includes All American And European Airlines)
- Johns Hopkins University: US Travel Industry Daily Updates
- Sojern's 2021 COVID-19 Travel Data Insights Dashboard
- Sherpa: Travel and Health Restrictions Updates
- Re-open EU: Europe Travel Information and Updates
- Test for Travel: Travel Restrictions Assessment
- Airheart: Travel Bans and Requirements
Adventure Travel Industry FAQs
1. How can I help minimize the impact of the pandemic on my travel business?
- Consider your cancellation policy carefully and decide whether it will benefit your long-term relationship with your travelers to offer credits or no cancellation penalties to encourage future bookings. Also, consider allowing them to transfer their bookings to others like a gift certificate.
- Monitor countries on your itineraries to understand if border closures or traveler bans may create problems for your travelers.
- Offer any support needed regarding hotel, air, and transportation cancellations.
- Communicate regularly to your clients and guests.
- The Future of Travel in the Wake of COVID-19
- Charting Adventure Travel’s Path to Recovery
- Understanding the Impacts of COVID-19
- 10 Recovery, Heath, and Safety Recommendations for Adventure Travel From ATTA
- Financial Strategies and Tactics for Adventure Travel Businesses During Economic Uncertainty
- Attempting to Profile the post-COVID-19 Traveler
- Prospectiva del Turismo en la Era Post COVID-19
- Doing Good in the Time of COVID-19
- Politicas de Cancelación en Tiempos de COVID-19
- Fortify Your Travel Business with Insurance
- Online Waivers and Digital Release Forms
- Travel Insurance
- How to Turn Crisis into Opportunity
- Tripadvisor Introduces Live Sentiment Dashboard to Support Global Tourism Recovery
- Sojern's 2021 COVID-19 Travel Data Insights Dashboard
- COVID-19 Travel Sentiment Study-Wave 30
- COVID-19 Culture Assessment
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Travel advice for the general public
Strategies for Travel Businesses
- Surviving COVID-19 Through Tourism Resilience
- Supporting Tour Guides During The COVID-19 Pandemic
- Supporting Your Customers, Staff, and Business Through Coronavirus 2020
- Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis: 12 actions for businesses in general to consider
- Disaster is Just an Opportunity in Hiding: considerations for action plan for adventure travel businesses
- COVID-19: Implications for business: includes 7 actions your business can take now.
- IHG Is the Model for Hotel Chains on Cancellations as Crisis Mounts
- How hotels should set room rates now and after the coronavirus crisis?
- As domestic travel picks up in Japan, players adapt with safety measures, micro-targeting and hybrid models
- U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus
- U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Funding Programs & Loans
- How do I apply for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan? (for UK based businesses)
- List Of Banks Offering Relief To Customers Affected By Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Financial Assistance for Businesses Affected by the Coronavirus Is on the Way (USA)
- Support for entrepreneurs impacted by the coronavirus COVID-19 (Canada)
- Europeans Maintain a Robust Desire to Travel, Planning 2021 Trips Despite COVID-19 Second Wave
- Treetop Adventure Business Emerges from Lockdown with Fresh Ideas
- Apps to Let Travelers, Others Show COVID-19 Status
- Assessment of Risks of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission During Air Travel and Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce Risk
- Hard Truths From Singapore's Reopening Gambits – Skift
- Accelerating Travel Innovation After Coronavirus
- Europeans maintain a robust desire to travel, planning 2021 trips despite COVID-19 second wave
- Tripadvisor says travel remains top of mind for consumers
- RESOURCES - Indigenous Tourism Forum
2. Is travel insurance covering cancellations from COVID-19?
Fear of travel is never a covered reason for any type of coverage. In no instances can you get reimbursed for canceling your trip because you’re worried about how the COVID-19 outbreak may impact your travels. Some travel insurance will cover trips impacted by COVID-19 in other ways. See some policies below.
- Forbes Best Pandemic Travel Insurance Plans Of October 2021
- Does your credit card's travel insurance cover coronavirus cancellations? Here's what American Express, Chase and others are telling customers
- Does Travel Insurance Cover the Coronavirus?
- World Nomads: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel
- Travel Guard: Coronavirus Advisory
- Allianz Tavel U.S. Coverage Alert
- Politicas de Cancelación en Tiempos de COVID-19
3. What should we say to our clients and travelers?
Don't shy away from this topic with your clients, customers, or followers. Be transparent and communicative, calm, and reasonable. Below are some articles you could share, and we will soon post some sample letters from members of our community. Please feel free to share yours in the comment section below!
Useful Articles on what to say and what not to say
- 11 Ways To Support Your Favorite Travel Businesses From Home
- What You Can Do Today to Help the Travel and Tourism Industry
- Scared about Coronavirus? Stop Telling Customers “But We’re Clean!”
- Please Postpone, Don’t Cancel Your Trip—Keep the Travel Spark Alive
- Rios Tropicales
- G Adventures
- Wilderness Travel
- Indy Guide
- OARS Response to COVID-19
- Odysseys Unlimited
- Journey Mexico "Escape the Crowds"
- Ethical Travel Portal, Norway
4. What should destinations and DMOs be doing now?
Strategic Opportunities for Destination Recovery and Resilience from the ATTA:
The ATTA is working with senior advisors to identify strategies that support recovery and resiliency:
- Short and Long Term Solutions to Support Evolving Strategies
- Advising DMO members to research new source markets
- Working closely with hotel, airlines, and receptive and international tour operators to develop attractive packages to stimulate travel from these source markets and target customers
- Making incremental investments in marketing these packages now, starting with short-haul and regional markets and then focus on tried and true longer-haul and international markets.
- First-mover advantage is critical here – destinations that can move fast to switch focus stand the best chance of riding out the crisis.
- Destinations Embrace Multilingual, Multicultural Marketing to Attract New Travelers for Post-Covid Reality
- Action Plan for DMOs from consultant Twenty31
- Coronavirus: What Should DMOs Do?
- Promoting Tourism in the Time of Coronavirus Is a No-Win
- 3C epiphany - The Japanese Authorities Understood COVID-19 Better than Most | Asia
5. What can gear brands do?
- Masks Have Become a Viable New Product for Outdoor Brands
- Toad & Co Launches Coronavirus Assistance Program
- Crisis Communication
- Blaze-Partners: What's Next? Life After Lockdown
"Know just one thing - Tourism is Resilient and Rebounds - ALWAYS! If we can afford to weather this storm, we want to be ready for it!"
- Raj Gyawali, SocialTours
ATTA members, join the conversation in The HUB.
Submit your questions as well as your answers to the above questions in the comments below. We will continually update and add to this page.