Since the very beginning of our walking tours back in 2016 we’ve been keen on putting the “quality over quantity” motto as our primary guideline and have therefore always insisted on small groups of only up to eight guests per guide. We’ll stick to this in the times to come, especially now that it’s become obvious that bigger groups mean bigger challenges in regard to social distancing between the guests. But, let’s go over the guidelines of the “Safe stay in Croatia” health and safety protocol for tour guides as defined by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, one by one:
- body temperature measurement for guides prior to the beginning of the tour
- wearing face masks indoors
- disinfecting hands
- maintaining physical distance between the guide and the guests
- not shaking hands with the guests
- limited group size in indoor spaces
- if possible, using audio system with receiver and earpiece for guests to maintain physical distance
- if possible, using microphone transmitter for guides to maintain physical distance
- disinfecting the receivers and earpieces after each guest
- adhering to the epidemiological health and safety measures on all tourist localities
- strictly respecting the rules of conduct in protected areas
So, those were the guidelines set for the guides by the Ministry of tourism and sports. Now, these are the guidelines for the guests:
- wearing face masks indoors
- disinfecting hands
- physical distancing
- limited group size in indoor spaces
- if possible, using audio system with receiver and earpiece for guests to maintain physical distance
- adhering to the epidemiological health and safety measures on all tourist localities
- strictly respecting the rules of conduct in protected areas
Now that you’ve read these, let us reassure you with some practical and logical facts about how we do our tours, and how we intend to do them in light of the “Safe Stay in Croatia” health and safety protocol. Firstly, we do all our tours outside, outdoors, on fresh air. We do not enter museums. Since all our guides have the liberty to take their guests inside some of the churches in Dubrovnik (Marko in particular loves the Jesuit church and the little angel inside…), of course we will put on masks before entering the church and wear them until we’re outside again.
Next, rest assured that we’ll always have a hand disinfectant available for all our guests. Although we won’t shake hands, they may get dirty from the props we use on some of our tours (the football and the flag come to mind… :) so if any one of our guests wishes to sanitize their hands after touching anything, or just because they want to feel cleaner, our guides will always have a hand disinfectant ready. Remember that, dear guests, even if you only want to clean them knowing that you’re going to eat something after the tour. Cleanliness first!
We kindly ask you to be mindful of the physical distance between yourself, the others around you and your tour guide. It is perfectly normal to stay closer to people you love and trust, your family and friends who are with you on the tour, but maybe not that close to other travelers that you just met and saw for the first time at the meeting point. As for the guides, we will be just as charming, enthusiastic and knowledgeable from six feet away. :)
Lastly, as we pointed out at the beginning, remember that we guarantee small groups, and we mean it – there will never ever be more than eight people on the tour. What that means practically is that if you happen to be a group of friends travelling together, guess what? You might as well have a private tour! Same works if you’re one big happy family! Couples and solo-travelers, fear not – you too might end up having a personal tour, entirely for you. The numbers don’t matter – the experience does. We at Dubrovnik Local Guides will continue to strive to deliver the best tour guiding experience in Dubrovnik in these difficult times. And we’ll do it with your safety as our topmost priority. That is a promise.
See you soon in Dubrovnik!