in-cyprus 7 May 2020 - By Bouli Hadjioannou
The Cyprus Hotel Managers Association has drawn up a detailed guide with proposals on how hotels should operate once allowed to reopen under the lockdown exit strategy, Demetra Landou reports for Phileleftheros.
Tourism stakeholders will be submitting their proposals to the deputy tourism ministry which is preparing a protocol for the tourism sector more generally.
Hotels and airports are set to open between June 9 and July 13, provided everything goes to plan.
President of CyHMA told Phileleftheros Christos Angelides said that rules of operation must be finalised to give time for preparations and training.
But he said that care must be taken not to shift a disproportionate amount of the responsibility for protective measures to the client as this will dampen the holiday experience.
Regarding tourism arrivals, the association says that the flow of clients at reception areas must be managed based on the space and social distancing rules.
Visitors should only approach the reception desk one at a time (per receptionist) provided that distancing is adhered to.
Online pre-checking and express checking should be encouraged so that the time spent at reception is at a minimum
Other transactions such as checking passports and travel vouchers should be with as little contact as possible.
Buffets
Food and drink buffets must strictly adhere to HACCP food safety rules and provision must be made to avoid congestion. At peak hours, the flow of the number of people entering as well as those waiting in line must be managed. To better serve more clients at the same time, the various buffet sections can be spread out. Moreover, clients must be facilitated to service themselves quickly. Contact with serving utensils should be reduced by offering pre-prepared portions or foods and drinks that are easy to self-serve.
Cleaning of rooms
Preparing a room requires a strict cleaning and disinfection protocol with particularly scrupulous checks of all the surfaces and utensils. Linen must always be covered or packaged — both when bringing it to or removing it from the room.
In addition, glasses and cups should be avoided, unless they are each packaged or are single use.
The mattress must be covered with an undersheet that must be replaced with each new arrival.
