Safety for students touring New Zealand
Choosing a tour operator to transport international students around New Zealand can be a catalyst for grey hair for the organiser. Increasingly schools and overseas agents are coming under the pump of health and safety laws, almost to a point where travel to New Zealand from abroad or within New Zealand for students already here, is getting put in the ‘too hard basket’.
Is your tour operator Qualmark endorsed?
A good place to start is to see if the operator is ‘Qualmark’ endorsed. Qualmark provides evidence that the tour operator has been independently validated as a quality tourism business. It provides instant recognition for customers that the operator will deliver a quality experience. Qualmark looks at systems and operating practices relating to Health and Safety, the Environment, Social / People (visitor experience), and Economic factors (operating procedures).
Are your RAMS form in order?
In New Zealand, schools need ‘RAMS Forms’ (Risk Assessment and Management Strategies) for all travel outside of the school. These forms are relatively simplistic, but show what safety has been considered for the trip and that plans are in place to avoid incidents happening, and if they do, how they will be dealt with. New Zealand schools who enrol international students are also signatories to the ‘Education (Pastoral care for international students) Code of practice’ and must ‘ensure that international students live in a safe environment’ and also that they have the appropriate travel insurance for travel within New Zealand. For more information click here.
