ATIC and ATEC launch COVID-safe programs for SMEs

Two of Australia’s tourism industry bodies have developed COVID-safe practical support for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) yesterday flagged the launch of its online program, ‘COVID Clean Practising Business’, to assist tourism businesses to develop procedures for maintaining a COVID-safe workplace.

Representing a core component of the Quality Tourism Framework (QTF), the program uses Workplace Health & Safety standards and reflects individual state or territory requirements.

The program also supports the development of safe work practices such as social distancing, staff training and customer guidance, and the creation of a COVID-19 risk register.

Tourism businesses that have successfully completed the new program will be able to provide an assurance to visitors and guests that additional hygiene steps and sound, safe work practices are in place by displaying the COVID Clean Practising Business mark on premises and online, according to ATIC executive director Simon Westaway.

“With progress in the easing of restrictions now underway, we are naturally excited for our industry becoming open again for business,” he said.

“But we also recognise the important role tourism enterprises must play to maintain a COVID-safe community.

“This program assists tourism businesses in these efforts in an easily digestible format, whilst encouraging tourism activity within a COVID-19-safe environment.”

In other news, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has responded to “strong demand for clarity from industry members” with the launch of the ‘COVID READY’ webinar program.

Beginning on Thursday on Zoom, the program will navigate the federal government’s official COVID-19 guidance, specifically for use in tourism businesses.

Rather than being a staff training tool, COVID-READY is designed to assist businesses in developing pragmatic, individual plans grounded in industry operational needs.

The program will also hear from experts such as emergency planning consultancy Tigertail Australia’s Rick Stone, Destination Southern NSW chair Richard Beere, and Exceptional Kangaroo Island’s Craig Wickham.

Those interested in tuning in to the ATEC’s webinar can do so here.

The moves by the ATIC and ATEC come in the wake of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announcing the formation of all-of-industry health and wellness protocols.

According to the WTTC, the protocols came in a bid to create an overarching industry health policy, following WHO and CDC guidelines, to avoid the emergence of multiple standards; a scenario that it said would “only delay the sector’s recovery”.

Featured image: iStock/ArtistGNDphotography