Before travellers dare to pack their bags and head out for a vacation, they are checking accommodation hygiene and safety measures.
Globally, daily room disinfection" followed by daily disinfection (general areas) are the most important hygiene measures travellers expect from hotels and other accommodation providers according to a recent Agoda study.
However, like most online booking services, there are no guarantees provided by Agoda that the properties it features online actually comply with the stringent government measures. Some of the accommodation providers listed are illegal hotels and condominum units that are not covered by national compliance systems or safety requirements that govern registered hotels.
While Agoda promotes hygiene safety, the guest should be wary of booking apartment stays that fall outside the legal framework or scope of hygiene programmes initiated by governments.
Agoda identifies the top five measures as "Providing Hygiene Standard Listings", "Providing Personal Hygiene Kit (masks, gloves)," and "Hygiene Certification from the Government".
It has also launched HygienePlus, a new verification feature that shows travellers the health and hygiene measures taken by accommodation providers on its travel platform. As travel resumes, HygienePlus gives travellers the added assurance of identifying hotels or homes that meet a checklist of standardised measures.
But it would be much clearer for travellers if Agoda removed all non-registered accommodation offers from its sites to safeguard customers. There is no recourse for travellers who check-in non-registered accommodation. Supposing something goes wrong such as a Covid-19 breakout, it could have severe ramifications for a guest’s insurance cover as the accommodation unit (usually an apartment not built to serve tourists on short stays) lacks legal status under national laws.
Agoda says travellers from South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, "Daily Room Disinfection" tops the priority list, while travellers from Taiwan, USA, Thailand, Australia and Saudi Arabia prioritise "Daily Disinfection (general areas)" as the most important measure to get them booking again.
Younger travellers in the 18 to 24 years old category are more inclined to prioritise "Daily Room Disinfection". In comparison "Daily Disinfection (general areas)" is the most important measure for global respondents in the 35 to 44 years old age group.
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