With the gradual arrival of the phases of the de-escalation, the tourism sector is witnessing a great upturn in the interest of users to return to travel and enjoy tourist activities. Thus, several governments are already beginning to plan the opening of their borders and encourage their fellow citizens to start planning their vacations, both nationally and internationally.
However, despite government suggestions, the sense of uncertainty generated by the coronavirus has yet to fully evaporate from travelers’ thinking, and that’s why cancellation policies are their top priority right now. In this sense, the extreme flexibility offered by free tours make this type of guided tour to become the preferred one by users for these post-COVID-19 months, since in this type of activity it is not necessary to pay anything in advance, which allows you to book without fear of not being able to enjoy the experience in case of any type of incident.
Civitatis, the leading company in online distribution of guided tours, excursions and activities in Spanish in the main destinations in the world, has in its extensive catalog with more than 400 free tours around the world, of which more than 60 take place in the Latin American territory.
Among these free guided tours it is possible to find more traditional free tours, such as the one that runs through the historic center of Buenos Aires or the streets of Lima, as well as others focused on artists, such as the one by Frida Kahlo in Mexico City and even some so peculiar like the free tour of La Recoleta cemetery.
How does a free tour work?
Free tours are walking tours in which the price is not pre-established, so that the user decides the price freely at the end of the tour.
The concept of ‘free tour’ is getting more and more popular, as it allows travelers to get a first look at the city and discover not only its history or monuments, but also the best places to eat or party. In fact, according to internal statistics from Civitatis, until the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the stock of free tours around the world had grown by 4000% since 2016, when this type of guided tour still did not enjoy so much popularity.
Measures against COVID-19
As with the rest of the activities, the free tours have adapted to the new normal by incorporating preventive measures against the coronavirus.
Firstly, the maximum capacity of the groups will be reduced, so that the safety distance of 2 meters can be guaranteed at all times among those attending the free tour. In turn, the use of the mask will be mandatory to always preserve the safety of tourists, since, at certain times, maintaining the safety distance in the historic center can be a chimera.
In addition, the guides will undergo body temperature controls before and after the guided tours, audio systems will be used to respect the safety distances, contactless payment methods will be provided and the use or delivery of printed material will be avoided to illustrate the explanations or provide information, a very common practice in free tours … Until the new normality arrived.