{"id":10470,"date":"2020-11-03T16:23:11","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T21:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/?p=10470"},"modified":"2020-11-03T16:26:01","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T21:26:01","slug":"national-parks-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/national-parks-2020","title":{"rendered":"On the Road Again: Explorica by WorldStrides’ Approach to Traveling Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes to deliver a one-of-a-kind educational trip for students and teachers across the country? Read on to learn how we prepared for our first trip since the COVID-19 pandemic began.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In early October, Explorica by WorldStrides Program Leader Sonny G. and a group of 14 adults set out to explore the natural wonders of America\u2019s National Parks\u2014but preparation for the trip began long before our travelers arrived out west. We sat down with Terri Morgoglione, Chief Experience, Health & Safety Officer at WorldStrides, to learn about the extra precautions taken for our first group of travelers in the new COVID-19 world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing active in nature can be a great way to stay mentally and physically fit, especially during such trying times, and the itinerary for this program included bucket list destinations filled with natural beauty. However excited we were for the program to run, we knew that we would have to be meticulous in our planning and execution to mitigate the risks against contracting COVID-19. Thus, we got to work putting into action the policies and protocols that our Back to Travel Task Force developed over the seven months leading up to the program,\u201d Terri said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To start, Terri and the rest of WorldStrides\u2019 Back to Travel Task Force monitored COVID-19 case levels and local restrictions in the destinations our travelers were coming from, as well as the locations they\u2019d be visiting on the itinerary. Working closely with our partners at The George Washington Department of Emergency Medicine, the team examined the program itinerary, National Parks guidelines, and our emergency plans, including identifying local testing capabilities if a participant were to exhibit symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Next, the Task Force met with our Operations Team to vet each vendor that would support the program, confirming that the bus company, hotels, and restaurants had protocols in place to reduce risks during the pandemic. This meant identifying the risk touch points associated with each activity on the itinerary, from eating breakfast to returning to the hotel at night, and determining the steps necessary to mitigate against those risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The group\u2019s Tour Director, Simone K., received comprehensive training on our COVID-19 protocols, including symptom monitoring and enforcing COVID-19 specific rules, and each participant was required to attend a customized Pre-Departure Safety Briefing, delivered virtually by WorldStrides\u2019 Health and Safety team. Upon arrival, travelers received personal protective equipment, including enough disposable masks and hand sanitizer to get them through the entire program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHaving been the first group to travel since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we felt very safe during our touring experience. WorldStrides established strict protocols to abide by, and our group faithfully followed them. Our travels were not affected by these rules and our magnificent trip through the National Parks reflected that,\u201d said Sonny G., the group\u2019s Program Leader. <\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s been traveling exclusively with Explorica since 2003, but Sonny took extra precautions to make sure this particular trip ran smoothly. \u201cThe preparation for this trip was much more time consuming and required more attention to detail than most previous ones due to the pandemic,\u201d he said. \u201cI constantly reviewed Utah and Arizona\u2019s COVID-19 rates, studied CDC suggestions, communicated with WorldStrides\u2019 Health and Safety team, and kept in weekly contact with my group. While I was confident we could safely travel to the National Parks, we took nothing for granted. Proper preparation was an absolute necessity and the positive results of our trip proved correctly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Though Sonny\u2019s trip was originally postponed due to travel restrictions, he was more than happy to reschedule so his travelers would have the opportunity to see the great American West with Explorica. \u201c[They\u2019ve] always been efficient, accommodating, and effective in both the preparation and the execution of my trips. I am very comfortable with them and see no reason to use any other company,\u201d he said. \u201cJean Lavoie <\/span>(Sonny\u2019s Explorica representative)<\/span><\/i> is a wonderful and helpful travel consultant [who] handles all my concerns and deals with every issue in a professional and timely fashion. She is both the first and last person I communicate with, and having met and talked to her on the 2015 Explorica Convention in Cuba, she impressed me all the more. I prefer no one else to assist me in my group travels!\u201d Sonny continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

While on tour, Sonny and his Tour Director, Simone, worked together to keep their group of travelers informed and up-to-date. \u201cSimone was excellent. She provided me each night with a detailed agenda for the next day and kept me informed throughout the trip. I know the pandemic protocols added much to her workload, but she never complained. I could not have asked for a better Tour Director, especially for the time we were touring,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting out in Canyonlands National Park, the group explored the Mesa Arch and Shafer Canyon Overlook before making their way to Moab, Utah. From Arches National Park to Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, and the Grand Canyon itself, Sonny, Simone, and the rest of the group enjoyed hiking, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities, and more while adhering to health and safety guidelines. \u201cWe used two vans instead of one single bus. We wore face masks constantly, kept a social distance, sanitized, and avoided most indoor activities. Despite these regulations, the group absolutely loved the trip and was more than willing to follow WorldStrides\u2019 guidelines in order to have a safe and successful tour of six National Parks,\u201d said Sonny.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis trip really helped with my COVID cabin fever,\u201d one traveler said. \u201cI felt safe with the way everything was handled on the trip, and we had a wonderful time. The experience opened my eyes to the beauty of the United States, and I\u2019ve really enjoyed everything we\u2019ve done,\u201d he added. As the tour wrapped up and participants packed their bags, they were advised on best practices to follow when returning home, including monitoring for symptoms and avoiding vulnerable members of their home community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think traveling, even while the world is changing, is something each person has to decide for themselves,\u201d Sonny reflected. \u201cPersonally, I am confident in my quest to travel as I am both careful and use some common sense of where I am going. This world, both national and international, is a fascinating place and I want to experience it all. Travel has reinforced in me both diversity and inclusion, and I intend to continue doing so but with much more preparation and forethought than before.\u201d And with four trips lined up for 2021\u2014and two more scheduled for 2022\u2014we can\u2019t wait to explore the world with Sonny again!<\/span><\/p>\n

Although travel may not look the same as it did a year ago, with careful planning and a commitment from every traveler to strictly adhere to best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19, it is still possible to cross some experiences off your bucket list!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes to deliver a one-of-a-kind educational trip for students and teachers across the country? Read on to learn how we prepared for our first trip since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In early October, Explorica by WorldStrides Program Leader Sonny G. and a group of 14 adults set out Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1090876,58,1090875],"class_list":["post-10470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explorica-news","tag-back-to-travel","tag-educational-travel","tag-national-parks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10470"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10478,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470\/revisions\/10478"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}