As the travel industry begins to reopen, Anina Monteforte, Founder of The World Within Us, shares updates on safety guidelines travelers are expected to follow on our upcoming trips!
Hello The World Within Us travelers, we learned these past few months that not all things are in control - to put it simply. As we see the travel industry began to reboot again with safer restrictions, we are excited to see how we can adapt to these new changes and keep our promise in sharing with you the best travel experience ever!
It’s important now more than ever that we navigate our ‘new normal’ in our post-covid world and do it safely. Above all, The World Within Us is committed to keeping our community and the destination of travel safe. We prioritize the health and safety of our guests and the destination we visit.
We have put together a quick rundown of what you can expect The World Within Us to do in response to COVID-19. The guidance is directly from the World Travel & Tourism Council, The World Health Organization, and local governments. We are consistently monitoring this situation with continual updates in each of our trip destinations and taking all of the necessary safety precautions in our power to ensure the best travel experience for you!
Here’s a quick list of safety guidelines we expect our travelers to follow in order to ensure a safe, smooth, and ultimately amazing travel experience for everyone on our upcoming trips!
Personal Safety Check-Ins: All travelers must take a COVID-19 test at least 7 days prior to departure and minimize all movements until the travel date. These negative test results are important for ensuring your well being and smooth entry into the country.
Get Your Safety Kit Ready: We do recommend our travelers bring hand sanitizers, reusable masks, and other disinfectant items. This way not only will you be able to protect your own health, but also reduce the safety risks of the local residents, and group while we’re traveling together.
“Opt-Outside”: In order to mitigate the risks of COVID, we will host our activities outside as well as eat at outdoors restaurants whenever possible to avoid being indoor settings. Also great to soak in some fresh air!
Skip the Hugs and Handshakes: While it’s customary to give hugs and maybe even a quick peck or two when greeting others in your travel destination, we ask that you do your part along with the rest of the team in maintaining social distancing measures, an elbow bump can be a great hello as an alternative!
Self Quarantine: We expect that all our travelers act with responsibility, notify our team of any COVID related symptoms, and get tested as soon as possible. All travelers are required to remove themselves from traveling with the group and quarantine if feeling ill.
Country Specific Guidelines: As of August 2020:
Tanzania: Tanzania is officially reopen to tourists as of July 2020. While there are no quarantine requirements in place, travelers will be subject to extensive screenings and in some cases, covid testing dependent on country of arrival. Incoming passengers are required to fill out a "health surveillance form" upon arrival. https://tanzaniaembassy-us.org/
Egypt: Egypt reopened tourism with restrictions on July 1st 2020, and there are regular direct flights on EgyptAir from New York City and Washington, DC, to Cairo. US travelers need to procure a visa either before travel or upon arrival and will be subject to temperature checks and must adhere to social distancing and mask-wearing requirements. It is recommended that you come prepared with a negative Covid-19 test result that is at most 48-hours old with medical insurance documentation. http://www.egyptembassy.net/consular-services/egyptian-consulate-in-us/
Nepal: According to the country's Department of Immigration. Nepal's airports will reopen to international and domestic commercial air travel beginning August 17th 2020. In order to confirm that they do not have COVID-19, all travelers must carry a certificate or documentation of their covid test results taken within 7 days prior to entering the country. Nepal currently does not offer covid testing upon arrival and because this is required, we recommend travelers plan accordingly prior to departure. https://nyc.nepalconsulate.gov.np/
Indonesia: On May 15, the tourism ministry discussed plans to reopen to tourists as soon as October 2020.Travel updates from the Indonesian government in regards to lifting restrictions for foreigners are being monitored and discussed. As restrictions are lifted in the upcoming months, further updates will be provided. Each traveler will need to fill out required paperwork and documentation depending on their state of residence upon arrival. https://kemlu.go.id/newyork/en
Brazil: Currently not open for tourism at this time; our trip is scheduled for October of 2021 and will be closely monitored in the next 14 months. http://novayork.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/
Updated bi-weekly on our website COVID-19 page.
Please keep in mind that each country has its own set of guidelines in response to COVID and we must be respectful of the protocols and safety procedures they have in place. We will update all participants on any updates for country travel restrictions and prepare accordingly.
Thank you for committing to traveling safely and responsibly in our travels. We appreciate your commitment during this challenging time to see our world and empower yourself. The World Within Us is excited to take you on your safe and sustainable travel experience!
See you soon!,
The World Within Us Team
