G Adventures announced its new Vaccinated Tours program, with each trip having a fully vaccinated chief experience officer (CEO or tour guide) confirmed to lead the tour, and for which all travelers must also be fully vaccinated.
According to a G Aventures survey, 62 percent of American travelers expressed that having a vaccinated CEO was actually more important to them than their fellow travelers being fully vaccinated, which 53 percent of travelers indicated they would prefer when traveling on a small group tour.
Due to the vast number of tours and destinations G Adventures is currently operating in, and the slower roll-out of vaccines in some destinations, the adventure operator is also introducing new Travel-Ready tours to ensure equitable access to tourism employment opportunities for CEOs in destinations which have not yet been able to administer vaccinations as widely as others, and the operator is also actively assisting CEOs to access vaccines in their home countries.
Of the tours departing in October, 304 departures across 116 tours will operate as Vaccinated Tours and 64 departures will be designated as Travel-Ready. On Vaccinated Tours, all travelers and CEOs must have received a full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days prior to day one of the tour. On Travel-Readytours, all travelers and CEOs must have either received a full COVID-19 vaccination, or have a negative PCR test within 96 hours prior to day one of their tour’s departure. An icon will be featured next to each trip at gadventures.com to indicate which category of tour the departure falls under.
The Vaccinated Tours and Travel-Ready programs represent an evolution of G Adventures’ existing Travel with Confidence policy, which remains in place. This policy was introduced in June 2020, and implemented enhanced health, safety and physical distancing measures across all tours.
Jeff Russill, chief operating officer at G Adventures, said that while the company is prioritizing the placement of vaccinated CEOs, they also want to continue with the company’s mission of changing lives through travel in as many countries as possible, as quickly as possible, through community tourism.
“By October we will have successfully, and safely, run close to 1,000 tours since September 2020—more tours than any other operator—supporting employment and boosting the local economies of countries that are dependent on tourism, such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Morocco, Peru and Kenya. We are starting with Vaccinated Tours in October and will be adding future departures as we confirm CEOs and travelers are all fully vaccinated in order to lead and travel on those itineraries.
“As a global operator, we also want to ensure travel equity for those travelers who haven’t been able to be vaccinated as yet due to their age and/or home country, as we have travelers from more than 160 countries join our trips. We expect vaccination rates to increase in most destinations later this year, and as they do we will be operating even more Vaccinated Tours,” says Russill, in a press statement.
Example Vaccinated Tours and Travel-Ready trips that are available for travelers to book for travel in October include:
- Peru Upgraded – This 8-day trip showcases the highlights of Peru in a short amount of time. Visit local communities in the Sacred Valley, learn about ancient traditions in the Andes, check out the food scene in Lima and experience the absolute awe of seeing the mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu. This Vaccinated Tour,starting and ending in Lima and departing on October 9, is priced from $1,999 pp.
- Egypt and Jordan Adventure – This tour showcases the region’s natural wonders and cultures, and offering the perfect combination of guided excursions with free time to explore. The expert local leaders will share the archaeological and historical secrets of the ancient sites of Petra, Luxor, and the Great Pyramids of Giza. A 15-day Travel-Ready tour departing on October 29, 2021 and traveling from Cairo to Amman is priced from $2,899 pp.
- Costa Rica Quest Plus – This action-packed tour of Costa Rica’s highlights is perfect for the adventurer with limited time who wants to explore the region’s diversity. Get adrenaline pumping, follow a trail to the base of a waterfall, melt away in thermal springs, or relax on a beach in the secluded spots only the locals know. This 9-day Vaccinated Tour, starting and ending in San Jose with October departures, starts at $999 pp.
For more information, visit gadventures.com.
Don’t miss, “Covid-19 Vaccine Required for these Tour Operators.”
AmaWaterways is also requiring a COVI-19 vaccine for sailing.
