What’s it like travelling with G Adventures during the pandemic?
Independent travel agent Melissa Smith recounts her experience in Costa Rica
Tell us about your trip to Costa Rica and why you decided to travel during the pandemic?
Due to the pandemic I had four trips cancelled on me this year, the first one being a March 17 departure, but everything shut down on March 13. I had been working from home since then and although I had taken a few days off through the summer, it was mostly a “staycation” which is not something I am used to.
I usually travel somewhere new every summer but with the EU being closed to Canadians and safety concerns globally I had to find other options. Costa Rica had opened its borders, so I investigated a couple of tours and knowing that the Costa Rica Adventure was one of G’s top trips, I decided to go in that direction. I wanted to do a group tour because I liked the idea that we would be in a controlled environment where safety was of the utmost priority, and any activities we would do would be within our “bubble”.
What was it like travelling with a group? Did you feel safe with the extra measures involved in the Travel with Confidence Plus Collection?
Since restrictions in Toronto are quite high, I was not used to being in close contact with other people as it had been quite some time. Zoom calls and physically-distanced park hangouts were the extent of my human interaction, so to be in a group scenario among strangers was a bit odd at first. I think that was the general vibe amongst the group but once we got to know one another and settled in we quickly became more comfortable around one another.
The extra measures G Adventures implemented definitely helped me feel safer. We had a smaller group, assigned seating on the bus, hand and shoe sanitization before getting on the bus (every time), daily health self-assessments reported to the CEO, and masks were mandatory except when eating and in our hotel rooms. They also had a contingency plan in place should one of the travellers display any symptoms while on the trip. Thankfully, we didn’t have to experience that.
What were some of the key differences you noticed whether it was at the airport or during the trip? What new safety procedures and precautions were implemented?
As someone who travels often and is used to going from taxi to gate in under 20 minutes, my routine was thrown off a bit by the new procedures. Firstly, the airport was way busier than I thought it would be, and my flight was full.
Upon arriving at the airport an Air Canada attendant had to check and sign off that I had my proof of insurance and I had completed the Costa Rica Heath Pass and had my receipt with me so that I could enter Costa Rica upon arrival. After that I proceeded to bag drop and security. Before entering the security area, we had to go through a full body temperature scan check. There were markings on the floor to keep the proper distance while waiting in lines, more baggage scanners were open and only one person (or family) was permitted per scanner at a time. After the scanner if your bag needed to be checked, there was a 2m divider between the counter with the TSA agent and where you could stand, as well as a plexiglass divider.
When on the plane, Air Canada gave a small care package that included a mask, hand sanitizer, headphones, a small bottle of water and a pack of cookies. I noticed the cabin crew asking some passengers to change their masks if they were not wearing an approved style (gaiter/snood or bandanas are not approved for travel). It was emphasized the masks were mandatory and violations would not be taken lightly.
Do you have any tips to share for other agents on selling Costa Rica or G Adventures during the current climate?
In regards to Costa Rica, since they do not have a mandatory quarantine upon arrival, there are two main things I had to make sure I had in place:
Costa Rica Health Pass – you must register within 48 hours of your flight and upload your insurance information on their government website and have the receipt with you at all times.
Having the right insurance plan – Costa Rica requires you to have a plan that will cover you if you get COVID-19 during your trip and will cover at least $50k of medical expenses, as well as at least $2k coverage in case the borders close and you are stuck in destination.
Working with your clients to provide the proper insurance coverage (if you sell insurance) and making sure they complete the Health Pass (or doing it for them) can really show you are the expert and have their best interests in mind.
In regards to G Adventures, they truly do live up to their “Travel with Confidence” promise. With all the health checks and safety precautions in place, they worked tirelessly to ensure our safety. We were also assured that if we did display symptoms and needed to leave the tour that G Adventures would work with us to keep us safe.
Was it worth the 14-day quarantine and would you do it again?
For me the 14-day quarantine poses very little inconvenience. I live alone in downtown Toronto where everything is shut down anyway, and I work from home. My gym is doing Zoom workouts and I have equipment at home, and I already have my home office set up. The main difference is that I must have my groceries delivered and the concierge at my building has my deliveries brought right to my door. Though I was hoping that rapid testing would be set up at Pearson before I came home, I would do it again. I am aware that my specific circumstances make it easy for me to comply with the quarantine, though I do understand that it would not be possible for many people.
Are your clients currently booking trips despite these requirements?
Many of my clients are multi-generational families and are holding onto their credits and waiting until things are better. I have had some clients inquire about domestic travel but for the most part none of my clients have booked anything yet.
What was the vibe like in Costa Rica and amongst the others on the trip? Is it still possible to have “normal” vacation?
I was in Costa Rica for a total of three weeks, two weeks on the Pacific Coast and one week with G Adventures. The vibe outside of the tour was still very much the “Pura Vida” that we know and love about Costa Rica… but cautiously optimistic. Some hostels had restrictions on how many people were allowed to stay in dorms, restaurants had distanced tables and capacity limits, masks were required in shops and restaurants, and curfew was 10pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends. But the beaches still had surfers and sun-bathers and happy hours were always bustling. For the most part everything you do in Costa Rica is outdoors so people generally went about their “normal” vacations.
On the tour at first it was a bit odd being in close quarters with strangers coming from various parts of the world – this is not something that I had experienced in a long time. Further to that, with everyone coming from different places, the opinions of mask wearing and the pandemic in general was varied. At the end of the day, everyone respected the fact that we were in a very fortunate position to be travelling in these times and respecting everyone’s boundaries and local restrictions was of utmost importance.
Tell us a little about yourself, how long you’ve been in the industry, what you specialize in, etc.
My career in travel started in 2016 when I went to Europe for a year. I visited 25 countries between travelling on my own, yoga retreats and group tours. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about travelling in general so when I returned to Canada I had aspirations to work for G Adventures after reading Bruce’s book Looptail. His story was so inspiring to me and at the time I was in the middle of my own Looptail adventure. G Adventures was not hiring at the time so I ended up working with a national agency and training as an agent. I worked as a full-time agent for a year at a couple retail locations, and have been a part-time independent agent since May 2018. I have lived in various cities in Ontario, as well as Vancouver, London (UK) and I have been in Toronto for four years now. As most of my travel experience is within Europe, I specialize in multi-city European holidays.
Do you have anything to add?
My biggest take away from this trip is how much the world needs travel. The excitement and gratitude that was shown towards our small group at every stop was heartwarming. Many of the local Costa Ricans (our CEO – chief experience officer – Esteban included) had not had any groups come through in over nine months. Costa Rica relies heavily on tourism to survive, so at every restaurant, hotel, adventure activity and tour we attended, locals would practice their English with us, ask to pose for group pictures, and welcome us with huge smiles (you could tell even with masks on), and many many “gracias”.
Want to know more?
Smith travelled on G Adventures’ Costa Rica Adventure – Plus trip, which is part of the small group operator’s ‘Travel with Confidence Plus’ collection of tours. She can be followed on Instagram at @mel.around.the.world.
Launched in June 2020, the Travel with Confidence Plus Collection provides travellers with increased physical distancing measures while on tour, smaller group sizes (a maximum of 12), cheaper solo rooming options, ensuite bathrooms and private transportation, as well as increased sanitization and hygiene protocols as part of G Adventures’ Travel with Confidence policy. Please visit www.gadventures.com for more information.
