HAPPY TRAILS! ASIA
UPDATE DURING COVID 19

Welcome to the new normal

At this  times of Corona Pandemic, we are looking forward to the time that we can welcome our guest again. Of course with the requirements of the “New normal” in place to ensure a safe holidays during this pandemic. 

We publish on this page how the “New Normal” in Indonesia and Malaysia for tourism are taking shape, and how we are preparing to welcome your client safely back to our destinations.

As the situation changes from time to time, we will continue to monitor and make additions as needed.

We will keep you up to date on this website.

How does Happy Trails! Asia prepare for the new normal.

Happy Trails! Asia has formed a special team to prepare for the new normal and welcome guests back to our destinations safely. In this, we aim to offer you as our client peace at heart to ensure our services are operated with the required precautions.

As a founding member of a collaboration of DMC in Indonesia, we believe in the power of collaboration to prepare for the ‘new normal’. With this “Indonesian DMC Sustainability Collaboration” or IDSC we work together on  Health, Safety and Sustainability issues by data collection and training.

At this time of Corona Pandemic, we have put our efforts together and set up preliminary guidelines for all our services. This is done to assess the safety of our supply chain, to assist you in evaluating the safety of services as well as assist our (often small scale/family run businesses) to be ready for the “New Normal”  once traveling becomes possible again.

We started in Indonesia with IDSC in 2018, and are currently working to set up a similar collaboration in Malaysia. The same standards, adjusted to the local needs in Malaysia will be applied to our Malaysian services.

 

Based on National and international protocols for COVID- 19 prevention we developed guidelines that cover the following areas:

  • Ground staff /guides
  • Transport
  • Activities
  • Destination
  • Restaurant
  • Accomodation

Please explore our detailed presentation below, which explains how we are preparing for the new normal in detail.

Certificate of compliance to new normal protocols

We are happy and proud to announce that on 9 September we were amongst the first 23 DMC’s that officially received the certificate of compliance to the new normal protocol for our operations from the Balinese government.

This certification is following the assessment from the government and an on-site inspection that was done on 13th of August. The requirements for certification are for example social distancing, cleanliness, hand sanitizing, temperature checks, procedures for pax in house, face masks usage, logbook file and much more.

Note: At current in our destinations, a re-opening certificate is only required and available in Bali.

 

Our office in Bali was visited by a team from the government to check if we follow the protocol. For example social distancing, cleanliness, hand sanitizing, temperature checks, face masks usage and logbook.

We are currently waiting the official results, but verbally it has been indicated that we follow the protocol as required.

Assesment of Bali office

World Travel and Tourism Council safe travel

Happy Trails is working closely with local government, international experts and colleagues in the Indonesian tourism sector to ensure the health and safety of travelers when they come in Pandemic time.

Our teams have worked hard over the past months to ensure that all our services meet the requirements set out by the WTTC, and we are happy to inform that they do. We have fulfilled all criteria mentioned by the World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC) in their “Safe Travels “ Campaign and proudly carry the stamp.

According to the organization’s website, “(WTTC)  envision a future of travel which is safe, secure, seamless and provides an authentic and meaningful experience to the traveler across the journey; one which supports the livelihoods of millions and contributes to sustainable economic growth.

The designed stamp will make it easy to recognize companies around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardized as outlined by WTTC.

Procedure for guest with COVID-19 symptomps

The aim of the procedure is to protect the communities and travellers, and to respond to COVID-19 emergencies.

The travelers are required a travel insurance  and are advised to aquire a policy with COVID-19 coverage where available. If a traveler have symptoms they are recommended to stay home.

If the symptomps start while in country we have a trained team and guidelines are developed and the team is trained for the best assistance and care.

The guidelines given here are dynamic, and we will continue to adjust based on the region’s recommendations.

If you would like to receive our detailed protocols, please reach out to caroline@happytrailsasia.com

New Normal Training

What we do at our offices in Malaysia and Indonesia?

After a period of “working from home” we are now all back in our offices, following the rules of the government regarding hygiene, health check and social distancing to ensure a safe working environment.

Luckily that our offices are spacious and allow us to keep distance.

New Normal Training

How about Goverment ?

Indonesia

To boost the trust of domestic and international tourists, Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has created its Cleanliness, Health and Safety Protocol. This protocol is vital to restore Travelers confidence in the destination.

This protocol will give the guideline for all stakeholders on the cleanliness that is required in the new Normal. Through a meeting with the Government tourist association in Bali we are informed that a certification system is developed and on the way to assess suppliers and license them once they follow the protocol from the Ministry of tourism.

At current in Bali, this system is being implemented by the various stakeholder associations (i.e. Travel Agency and Hotel Associations) according to regulations set by the governor of Bali. Happy Trails! is assisting in these efforts, and once certifications become available we will communicate these and ensure all our trips meet the set requirements.

For more details on these requirements, please keep an eye on this website, as we will publish these in the future.

National parks will open in stages over the coming months. Apart from the standard protocols of temperature checks, wearing of masks and the availability of hand sanitizers at the tourism sites, the government also have steps in place to avoid overcrowding. After reopening at first it will only allow 10 -20 % capacity, and this will gradually be increase up to 50 % capacity.

 

Malaysia

Malaysia’s effectiveness in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak in the absence of critical advantages and extensive resources, offers an instructive example. Activities to keep the public well informed, have been consistent and nationally synchronised and public messaging clear, factual and accessible across new and old media. Aggressive contact tracing and strategic testing have also been central to recent success.

After an enhanced lockdown started on March 18th , the country started gradually reopening businesses and public activities, that are required now to meet with clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), issued from the government at all level and for all the industries.  Common practices within the SOP are: wearing mask in Public spaces, sanitizing frequently your hands, physical distancing, temperature checks and control of the crowd.

Since the restriction have been lifted, the country is allowing interstate travel, opening up to local Tourism. Talk between the Malaysian and Singaporean government are ongoing, to allow cross-border travel. A similar talk is on also with the South Korean, Thai, Japanese, Australian and New Zealander government, which are studying the possibility to open the travel within those “Green Bubbles” countries, which managed to control the pandemic. Currently any foreign, travelling to Malaysia for Business or Leisure are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, in specific accommodation assigned by the government (chargeable 150.00MYR per day) and are subject to medical screening.

Efforts from our suppliers in Indonesia/Malaysia

We are working closely with all our suppliers in Indonesia and Malaysia, to ensure a safe journey for the travelers. We prepared a handbook and training materials for all type of services. This will involve guides, accommodation, transport, drivers, activities or restaurant. We are in the process of setting up the assessment based on the regional, national and international standards. We invite you to have a look at our 4 min video created by our transport supplier, that give you an idea how the “New Normal” will look like.

By clicking on the link you can see the presentation from IDSC on the supplier collaboration. In the section “Handbooks” you can find more specific what we communicate to suppliers.

In the section “Handbooks” you can find more specific what we communicate to suppliers.

 
 

Our handbooks

Please do kindly note, that the handbooks below are currently works in progress. We will update these as needs/further information from governmental bodies becomes available.

Question / Suggestion : caroline@happytrailsasia.com

This time of Pandemic is the opportunity to prepare and learn from each other. Do not hesitate to reach out may any questions come up. We would love your suggestions as well, hence do not hesitate to reach out.

CONTACT US?

Leave us your details and we will contact you back or click the button below

Happy Trails! Asia

Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai, 195
PO. Box 3087 Sanur, Denpasar 80227 Bali, Indonesia

Phone: +62 (0) 361-288194
Fax: +62 (0) 361-286 966

Email: info@happytrailsasia.com