"At this time of year, European thoughts turn to the heart warming idea of a long summer break abroad enjoying sun and sea. But with the COVID-19 pandemic still circulating and infections rising in several parts of the world, there's a question mark over whether summer holidays will go ahead as normal this year.
One hotel which changed its business model in light of COVID-19 restrictions is the Forte Village resort on the Italian island of Sardinia. Last year, Forte Village invested more than a million dollars in an onsite COVID-19 testing centre as part of its newly-introduced protocol to test guests on their arrival at the resort.
"During the lockdown, we were brainstorming with the team and thought that this year … (we needed) new, exciting things to offer to the client, the focus was more on how to make Forte Village the safest place in the world," said Lorenzo Giannuzzi, CEO of Forte Village.
"We decided to enlarge and to invest in our medical team by bringing new doctors. And we started to research what was the most safe and reliable test, and with a lot of research, we finally found it. We worked with three universities to put together this protocol that is vouched by very eminent scientists," he explained.
The protocol introduced at the resort was to carry out a rapid antibody test on all guests at check-in before they enter the resort. The test involved a small finger-prick, which was then taken to be analysed in the hotel's testing centre and results were produced in around seven minutes, meaning guests would not have to wait for a long time.
Once a negative result was produced and everything was fine, the guests would then be allowed to enter the resort without having to worry about wearing a mask or social distancing for the duration of their stay as a COVID-19-free environment was promised by only allowing those with negative test results on the site.
"I was quite impressed with the solution they brought because we knew it's all going to be safe, we didn't have to wear masks once we've passed the test," Razvan Rosan, a Just Sardinia guest at the resort, told CGTN Europe.
As one of the first resorts in Europe to introduce testing measures, Forte Village said a positive to testing guests was that once inside, group sporting activities or the water park or even eating in the restaurant could be enjoyed by guests without social distancing restrictions."
Please visit www.justsardinia.co.uk/pages/forte-village-sardinia/ for more information or Call Just Sardinia 01202 484858 for personal hotel recommendations and advice on travel this summer.
Experience Sardinia with Just Sardinia – the Island Specialist.
