MAI JOURNEYS & COVID-19
The world is beginning to open up again; & when you are ready to travel, we are here to explore with you. And we cannot wait!
The Covid-19 & Delta crisis has impacted so many people, in so many different ways. We just want to make sure future travel plans are safe, and to absolutely reassure you that we are dedicated to supporting you in the best way that we can.
So as we start planning our return to travel, the safety and wellbeing of our guests, Tour Hosts and local partners is our top priority.
This page is dedicated to giving you information on Trips, how to book with Mai Journeys with confidence, and Health & Wellbeing. Our policies will continue to evolve as time goes on and as we continue to monitor public health recommendations.
As we look ahead to resuming safe travel in 2022 & 2023, we continue to be guided by the New Zealand Government and other Travel Advisories. Most destinations are now open to Vaccinated travellers, and many to un-vaccinated. We are watching it all very closely and it is great to see things moving along.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE:
We want to provide you with flexibility and peace of mind when you book with Mai Journeys. If we need to postpone a Tour due to Covid-19, we will contact you as soon as we can.
Any guest booked on a Mai Journeys tour that may be re-scheduled or Cancelled due to Covid, will have the opportunity to select one of the following options:
CONVERT YOUR BOOKING TO ACCOUNT CREDIT & TRAVEL ON THE RESCHEDULED TOUR DATES:
We will reschedule all postponed tours and Guest spots will be reserved on the rescheduled dates. (Please note that any rescheduled trips will need to be re-costed for the new dates, which may result in a higher or lower cost. This will be clearly
communicated at the time of rescheduling).TRANSFER TO A NEW / DIFFERENT TOUR: *if only a deposit has been paid:
If you can’t make the new tour dates of a postponed trip and you have only paid a deposit which has not been passed on, you can transfer your booking to another Mai Journeys trip to another destination if that suits your timing better.- YOU MAY REQUEST A REFUND OF MONIES PAID:
We will be happy to provide you with a refund for any recoverable costs by us. However, refunds cannot be provided for any unrecoverable costs (including our Trip Planning Fees, Merchant Fees, Operator costs, any transport paid upfront etc. For this reason we strongly advise you to have adequate Comprehensive Travel Insurance in place)
*Please note, in the event that you cancel due to a ‘change of mind’ due to fear of travelling in the presence of
Covid, is deemed a cancellation by you, and our usual cancellation conditions apply.
We need to keep you safe and comply with Covid requirements, so we only work with suppliers who have Covid safe plans.
With regards to payments, if, due to Covid, we need to postpone a tour and we have received your deposit but not passed on payment to our suppliers, you can choose to postpone with the tour date change, receive a credit note or receive a refund of your deposit paid.
If we have paid deposits/final payments to suppliers which cannot be returned, and we have to postpone due to Covid lockdowns, we have agreements in place that ensure we can move to alternative dates. Please check our booking terms by tour, and standard terms and conditions, when you are filling out your booking form for full details.
HEALTH, WELLBEING & TESTING:
The safety and well-being of our Guests, Tour Hosts and local partners will always remain our top priority. We will implement hygiene standards on every trip; all in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and Safe Travel protocols for tour operators.
We also work closely with our Ground Operators + local partners to ensure that all of our trips have all the appropriate safety precautions in place. From arrival to departure, we want you to know we have done everything in our power to keep you safe.
Going forward, Mai Journeys reserves the right to restrict symptomatic or exposed guests from joining a tour. We also have the discretion to ask for proof that you are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 if we are travelling to a destination that requires Guests to be vaccinated.
Depending on the airline you travel with, you may be required to show proof of COVID testing, and similarly, the destination you are travelling to will more than likely have specific requirements with regards to testing, Vaccine status & entry.
We encourage all travellers to check the travel restrictions + requirements in place for their destination.
Based on CDC guidance, we recommend all guests have proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before the trip’s starting date regardless of if this is required by the country you are visiting.
Any testing that is required pre-travel will be the responsibility of you, the Guest to organise and will be at your own expense. Any testing required post-travel will again be the responsibility of the Guest to organize.
Mai Journeys will not be responsible for refunding any lost trip funds if you have to miss your tour as you cannot meet the health + entry requirements determined by Mai Journeys and the country you are visiting.
VACCINATION:
In an effort to protect fellow guests and the communities of locals we interact with, all Hosts & Drivers will be fully
vaccinated against Covid-19. As your Tour Host, I am Vaccinated.
SMALL GROUPS.
Our Tours, Retreats and Escapes have always been small group. The minimum being 6 guests and the maximum group size is 10 guests. Everyone has plenty of personal space and being in a smaller group also allows you to connect with your chosen destination in a way you won’t get with larger tours. Mai Journeys will absolutely continue to foster connections in-country, but now with newly created health measures to keep you and everyone in your travel group safe. Also, as we travel in small groups, we stay at smaller hotels — which means fewer guests and as a result, contact with fewer people.
YOUR TRAVEL COMPANIONS:
Anyone who chooses to travel with Mai Journeys has a duty of care to themselves and the people around them. Guests will need to comply with local regulations & laws along with our own health & safety guidelines. This will ensure that everyone can enjoy their trip while remaining well. While nothing can completely eradicate every risk, all guests have certain responsibilities to be diligent in following health guidelines.
You will need to wear a mask whenever your Mai Journeys Host advises it is mandatory or necessary to do so, and anytime you wish to do so for your own assurance. We will obey local laws and regulations regarding masks, applicable to all guests, Hosts and suppliers in the destination.
We also ask every guest to be absolutely sure they are fit to travel. If there is any doubt – you need to contact us as soon as possible so we can try to make alternate arrangements.
MONITORING YOUR HEALTH:
Dependent on your destination, you may be required to complete a health survey prior to departure.
There may be further screening measures and additional safety protocols in place once on the trip, so you and the group you will be travelling with will form your own ‘bubble’ of close contacts for the duration of your journey. We will continue to observe physical distancing when required or recommended in public situations by local authorities.
If you or someone else on your trip has symptoms of Covid-19 while travelling with us we will assist you to access appropriate medical care as quickly as possible. This may include, but is not limited to, rearranging the itinerary to facilitate changed departure arrangements, assisting you should you need medical help, or facilitating tests or quarantine arrangements.
We will follow the advice of local health authorities on whether there is a need to self-isolate or quarantine or whether there is a risk to other travelers in the group.
Please note that while we will assist to ensure that you get all the help and support you need, any expenses for testing, treatment or self-isolation will need to be covered by you and your travel insurer.
Whilst we will do all possible to assist you, you are responsible for any additional costs incurred, and/or for making arrangements other than those we originally stated we would provide.
HYGIENE STANDARDS:
Your Tour Host and local hosts will have enhanced sanitation, disinfection, and deep cleaning practices for all touring vehicles and facilities used as part of a trip. Your Host(s) will provide frequent reminders and opportunities for hand-washing and hand sanitizer use and will let you know where face mask use is recommended and/or required. Every effort will be made to have plenty of hand sanitizer available, but we strongly recommend bringing your own supply as well.
Hotels and service providers are obligated to meet new operating standards of their local government authorities as a response to coronavirus. Specific standards vary from location to location but be assured we will ensure our local partners pay careful attention to detail.
COVID OUTBREAK WHILE ON TOUR:
If an outbreak occurs whilst we are on tour, we have fully committed to all payments (hotels, local guides, restaurants, transfers etc.) and therefore are unable to refund travelers should the trip be cut short or altered due to COVID-19.
However, it goes without saying, that wherever possible we will find alternative solutions to ensure the journey is still remarkable in every way we can.
*This page was last updated 01 June 2022
*Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the above guidance.
*And we are very much looking forward to not having to dance around, and worry so much about damn Covid!!