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Latest opinion surveys have confirmed that, following the global pandemic experience, the travelling guests' decisions and behaviours will be fundamentally different now from what was generally the case in the years past. The accommodation facilities’ approach to compliance with the fundamental principles of viral contamination prevention and to the risk of infection will become an additional factor in deciding on which hotels or restaurants, as well as other categories of accommodation and catering services, to choose. Already since the previous year, hoteliers across Europe, including our neighbours in e.g. Poland and Austria, have been developing standards and safe operation labels supporting these standards, which do not merely seek to ensure the highest possible levels of safety for the guests and for the employees, but also double as an appealing marketing tool. Conference organizers have also included assessments among their evaluation criteria of how the given accommodation and congress facilities approach the issue of protection against viral infections possibly affecting their guests. There is no doubt about it that this issue is not going to be a mere short-term trend, but that, mainly due to the growing sensitivity of guests and their fears of a possible infection, it will remain relevant also over the next few years.
The AHR CR is responding to these trends and is trying to help hotels and restaurants communicate the safety of their operations. It has therefore come up with a program and a safety label that all accommodation and catering facilities can be using free of charge. It is our goal to pay increased attention to this issue and at the same time to inform the guests about the implemented measures in a suitable form. We do not aim to create a new certification or introduce complex compliance checks. Our label, which is also yours now, is based on declaring more intense attention to this issue from the hotel side and, at the same time, on possible controls performed by the guest, who will have the opportunity to comment on the observance of the basic principles of safety and on his/her degree of satisfaction with the operations at any time. The AHR CR will then address any potential suggestions in cooperation with the given facility. Already now, all your outlets meet the requisites of hygiene and safety as directed by the Government of the Czech Republic and by the latest legislation. Apart from these measures though, and now more than ever before, it is necessary to communicate all these efforts towards the guests.
There are many ways how to assure your guests of that their stay is safe. To this end, the AHR has prepared a three-stage model, which you can be using at your facilities.
Printable information leaflets are available that will encourage your guests to obey the rules. At this time, it is your responsibility to make sure your guests get informed of these measures as required by the regulation of the Ministry of Health. The leaflets have been prepared bilingually and in various formats. They are available to you for download from the dedicated download page.
The AHR CR recommends the hygiene and safety measures being applied in the accommodation facilities should be communicated. To this end, a harmonised logo of the "Stay Safe" program is now available, which you can embed in your online channels and offline materials. The logo should be used in conjunction with the communication of your established measures and with the promotion of your services. This program can also prove useful whenever promoting conference services or negotiating with their organizers. Our experience from the pandemic period has shown that the guests will be interested in knowing what safety measures the hotel or guesthouse has taken to protect them from viral disease.
We are convinced that the ultimate goal of each facility, which will have registered for the Stay Safe program, is to ensure such hygienic standards that will guarantee a safe stay for the guests and a safe workplace for the employees at the same time. Whenever this label is used, the customer should in any case be able to learn about the specific steps that have been implemented in this area. We are convinced that the opinion of your guests regarding the level of services you provide is crucial for you. The label also features the name of our professional association as the warrantor of this program, so the guests are encouraged to contact the AHR CR if any shortcomings are revealed.
A 50-second video targeting the hotel guests can be previewed or ordered at this link