Travel Safety Charter

Exodus will be reviewing all upcoming departures on a rolling, week by week basis, to assess whether we can safely travel to the destination country. We will review all departures approximately 11 weeks before departure. At this point we will either confirm that we believe there is a good chance of the trip running at that stage, or cancel the departure. All clients will be written to in either case.

We will then monitor the departure for a further 4 weeks, using our 5 stage approval process, and will make a final decision on running the tour approximately 7 weeks before departure. We will communicate with all clients to advise if their trip is scheduled to now travel or not. We will issue updated Trip Notes at this stage and also ask clients to read and confirm they understand the requirements we have of our customers to protect themselves and other group members. Between this point and travel, we will continue to monitor all destinations and will notify clients immediately should the status of their departure change.

Suitable venues will be proposed for all meals, whether included in the price of your holiday or at your own cost, and whether your guide accompanies you or not. 

The meal venue proposed will reflect: 

• Cleanliness and hygiene measures for staff, equipment and venues. ​
• Use of face masks for staff involved in the preparation and serving of food. ​
• Options to effectively distance from other customers. ​
• Measures laid out by local government or controlling authorities. ​

• We keep group sizes small in order to maintain a low risk ‘small group bubble’, with an average of 10 guests in each group.
• Additionally, group members will be asked to do a temperature check on arrival or within the first 12 hours of the start of the tour.
• For now, your Exodus Guide won’t shake hands on arrival or hug on departure, but will offer support on an activity, like a tricky point on a walking trail, where the benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. ​
• Your Exodus Guide will ask you to report any COVID symptoms immediately, so that appropriate action can be taken to safeguard the group. ​
• Your Exodus Guide will carry some extra personal protection equipment, for example face masks, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser, thermometer; surface cleaning materials & COVID-19 tests. You should bring your own face-covering and hand-sanitiser supplies for the duration of your trip. Your leader will carry some spare items for use in emergency, but should not be relied upon. You will be asked to follow Exodus face-covering and handwashing guidelines, plus any local government requirements, which will be reconfirmed by your leader on arrival.
• In the unlikely event that your group needs to self-isolate, your local team will offer support throughout. We will help arrange accommodation and food and help to organise medical care and liaise with your insurance provider. In the unlikely event that a guide contracts COVID, they will be replaced immediately. ​

We’ve added hassle-free COVID tests into our trip itineraries to meet UK re-entry requirements

• You currently need a negative COVID test result to return to the UK,  taken within 72 hours (3 days) of return. So, we’ve built this into our trip itineraries to make it hassle-free.
• In fact, we will only operate holidays where we can identify, and make arrangements for testing that allows for UK compliant results to be issued in time for your return travel to the UK. Expected test costs (paid locally) will be included in the final version of the trip notes.
• We recommend that your travel insurance policy includes COVID-cover, so that your costs will be covered until you are able to return home should you test positive (subject to conditions).  If you wish you can purchase COVID-inclusive travel insurance from us when you book.
• If, through no fault of your own, your test result is delayed, Exodus will cover your accommodation costs until you are able to travel, and rearrange your flights (for flight inclusive customers).

• Prior to your trip, our UK HQ will work with the local team to re-route or amend itineraries, where necessary and possible, to avoid high risk or high-density locations and comply with local guidance. We will be updating and sending new Trip Notes 7 weeks before departure, and these will advise if there are any changes to the itinerary.
• Because we have put measures in place to keep the group healthy and safe, there will be occasions where you are in relatively close proximity to members of your group. You may be sitting beside each other on buses, meals will be shared together at communal tables and you will travel around in relative close proximity, as normal. Your guide will plan ahead to minimise time in crowded places by re-routing or arriving at quiet times, where practical but you should understand that it may not always be possible to avoid crowds or busy places.
• We will make every effort to reduce prolonged close interaction with the general public, especially in indoor spaces. ​
• Your Exodus Guide will advise you if face masks are recommended for a specific visit. ​
• Our UK HQ response team have details of the most suitable medical care facilities for each point on the trip, and will work in tandem with your guide, should you need it. ​
• If official travel advice changes during your trip, your guide will work closely with UK HQ to reroute or help with repatriation if required.