Updated at 18:15 with response by tourism officials, with the added text here
STA, 15 May 2020 - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has issued a set of recommendations for the tourism and hospitality sector to make sure that both staff and guests will be safe as bars and restaurants again start serving food and drinks indoors on Monday, and tourist accommodation with up to 30 rooms reopens.
Restaurants are urged to exclude all self-service options from their offering, including salad buffets, salad dressings, spices and bread baskets, while spoons, forks and knifes should come in a cotton bag or wrapped in a napkin for each guest individually.
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The NIJZ believes it would be best if physical obstacles were placed between tables, while playgrounds for children, toys, newspapers and magazines should be off limits.
All staff and guests will be required to wear face masks or other type of protection covering nose and mouth at all times, except when sitting at the table. Communication between the waiter and guests should be reduced to a minimum.
To avoid contact with other guests, it will be best to make reservations, while those arriving at a restaurant unannounced will be requested to follow markings on the floor.
The NIJZ has also prepared detailed recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces and kitchenware, so guests should not be surprised to see tables without tablecloths and waiters dressed in cotton clothes.
Similarly, guests who will stay at small hotels that will reopen on Monday, should not be surprised to see changes in rooms decor as all textile decorative elements will have to be removed.
Tourist accommodations will also have to adjust their check-in procedure to minimise contact among guests. Hand sanitisers will also be used before and after handling any documents, and using pens.
Promotional material will only be available upon request, while rooms with multiple beds will only be available for members of the same household, which will be checked during check-in.
Updated text below
Gregor Jamnik, the head of the Slovenian Association of Hotels, welcomed the guidelines, urging his colleagues to act in line with both mandatory and voluntary standards.
He deems safety precautions a new trend in tourism that should be welcomed as soon as possible to remain competitive.
Meanwhile, Fedja Pobegajlo, director of the Tourism Chamber, said today that the recommendations were expected. He has expressed satisfaction over the institute releasing guidelines for all the tourism sectors that are currently in the process of reopening.
Moreover, he has called on NIJZ to provide a set of recommendations for those that are yet to relaunch business as usual and thus help them get ready. Apart from large hotels, spas, swimming pools and casinos remain closed for now.
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