Covid-19 Updates
Travel Safely, With Confidence
Even before Covid-19, no adventure travel experience can claim to be without risk. However, there are many ways to mitigate risk and as adventure travel professionals we are experts at that! This is not new terrain for Wild Planet Adventures. We have a 100% success rate in over 30 years of mitigating risk involving a myriad of up-close wild animal encounters, with zero incidents. We’re approaching Covid-19 with the same level of vigilance, care and commitment that you’ve come to expect and rely on from us.
Our new “Travel Safely, With Confidence” policy features new health and safety procedures from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, without taking away from having the time of your life. The policy will evolve with new developments and as we continue to monitor local public health recommendations, but what won’t change is our commitment to keeping you safe as you explore our wild & wonderful world. Read on to learn more!
ATTA Health & Safety Protocols designed by the world-famous Cleveland Clinic
Wild Planet Adventures has received the ATTA Safe Travels stamp, which provides travelers with assurance that we have implemented health and hygiene protocols developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, across all our tours. These extensive protocols are designed to keep you safe and minimize risk during meals, activities, lodging and transfers. This includes testing, physical distancing, face-coverings, cleaning and sanitizing of rooms and vehicles, meal preparation, and new traveler requirements pre-trip. We will also be working with our local suppliers to be sure they are adhering to the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines.
We're Vigilant about Making Travel Safe In addition to the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) protocols, we’re also following the Covid-19 guidelines required by Governmental Tourism Authorities in every country in which we operate trips.
All together, these Covid health & safety protocols are designed to assure that our award-winning wildlife itineraries offer best-in-industry health & safety practices in preparation to operate trips now, or as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. We are proud to have a 100% perfect health & safety record after 30 years in business, and we take your safety seriously when you travel with Wild Planet Adventures.
While no activity can claim to be 100% safe, every country in which we operate wildlife eco-tours and safaris has determined data-driven benchmarks for protocols to mitigate risk. Compliance with these protocols is designed to make it realistically safe to travel and thereby allow a more nuanced assessment of the risks involved to enjoy a quality of life worth living. In addition to the ATTA and governmental requirements, we monitor the recommendations of the WHO, the CDC, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the UN World Tourism Organization as the situation continues to evolve.
Traveling With Wild Planet During Covid-19
1) The travel industry's smallest groups just got even smaller In 2019, even before Covid-19, 93% of our groups had only 4 travelers or less. Because our ultra-small group size was originally designed to maximize wildlife viewing, we are already known for having the smallest groups in the travel industry, which is also ideal for more physical distancing.
2) Private Departures - Available for ALL trips, minimum just 2 travelers! By selecting our Private "Go on Your Own" departures you benefit from our 30 years of world-famous wildlife expertise, while enjoying the peace of mind of traveling by yourself or with your own bubble of select travel companions. All of our trips are also available as Ultra-Small Private Departures with a minimum of just 2 travelers! Less people. Less contact. Less risk. (It’s better for wildlife viewing, too!)
3) We specialize in remote destinations away from crowds Our wildlife focus already requires us to avoid crowded, commercial destinations. Now, we are adjusting our itineraries to spend even more time in secluded locations with very few other travelers.
4) ATTA Health & Safety Protocols designed by the world-famous Cleveland Clinic All meals, activities, transportation and lodging in each of our 20 destinations is subject to new governmental requirements for health & safety as well as the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) guidelines, developed in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic. These extensive protocols are designed to keep you safe and minimize risk during meals, activities, lodging and transfers. This includes protocols for testing, physical distancing, face-coverings, cleaning and sanitizing of rooms and vehicles, meal preparation, and new traveler requirements pre-trip. We will be working with our local suppliers and restaurants to be sure they are adhering to the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines. In addition to the ATTA and governmental requirements, we monitor the recommendations of the WHO, the CDC, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the UN World Tourism Organization as the situation continues to evolve.
5) Enhanced cleanliness and sanitation On each and every trip, we follow best-practices protocols, which include enhanced daily cleaning and sanitizing of rooms and vehicles and the use of face coverings and gloves during preparation of field lunches. Additionally, the use of face coverings is required for all participants while traveling in vehicles and on internal flights and at all other times during the trip, both indoors and outdoors, when physical distancing is not possible. We work with our local suppliers and restaurants to be sure they are adhering to the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines. We follow the recommendations of the WHO, the CDC, the World Travel & Tourism Council and the UN World Tourism Organization to develop our Covid policies.
6) Travel Insurance Options - Including Cancel for Any Reason and Covid Coverage We are excited to offer Travel Insurance options that include Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage as well as non-exempt coverage for Covid-related delays and interruptions. Wild Planet has expanded our relationships with travel insurance companies that offer policies to best serve travelers with timely policies that include Covid-19 coverage rather than exempt for it, plus a wider variety of policies that offer the option to "Cancel for Any Reason" (CFAR). This coverage makes booking your trip now virtually risk-free!
7) Mobilizing Resources to Prevent Species Extinction - The 2020 poaching of Rafiki, the silverback gorilla leader of the famed Nkuringo gorilla group in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest underscores the urgency for wildlife tourism to resume. Without tourism, there is no way to effectively protect the earth's most at-risk wildlife populations of gorillas, tigers, pangolin, and even more so those critically endangered animals that receive less publicity but whose very existence relies predominantly on your ecotourism dollars. We know this crisis will pass, and when it does, it's critical that the earth's precious biodiversity has not been abandoned. Wild Planet Adventures has been working urgently with our local partners, lodges and service providers to assist them in staying in business and protecting vital wildlife habitat while keeping their revenue streams alive during this challenging time. Ask how you can help!
