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Guide & Safety Standards

Effective Date: 1 January 2026 · Version 1.0

This document sets out the safety obligations and guide qualifications required of all Tour Operators and their personnel when delivering experiences listed on the Vyete Platform.

1. Safety Obligations

1.1 Regulatory Compliance

Tour Operators must conduct all experiences in compliance with applicable safety regulations, Kenya Tourism Act requirements, and sector-specific safety standards for their activity type (maritime, aviation, adventure sports, etc.).

1.2 Participant Safety Briefings

A safety briefing must be provided to all participants before commencing the experience. The briefing must cover:

  • Potential hazards specific to the activity.
  • Required protective equipment and how to use it.
  • Participant responsibilities (health declarations, physical limitations).
  • Emergency procedures and communication methods.
  • Evacuation or emergency assembly points where applicable.

1.3 Equipment Maintenance

All equipment used in the delivery of an experience must be:

  • In safe working condition with documented inspection records.
  • Inspected according to a regular maintenance schedule appropriate to the activity.
  • Replaced or withdrawn from service when it reaches end-of-life or fails inspection.

Maintenance records must be retained and made available to Vyete on request.

1.4 Emergency Response Plan

Every Tour Operator must maintain a documented emergency response plan that includes:

  • Emergency contact numbers (local emergency services, Kenya Wildlife Service where applicable, nearest hospital).
  • Evacuation procedures for the specific locations used.
  • First-aid resources available on each tour.
  • Communication protocol for contacting Vyete in the event of a serious incident.

The emergency contact number provided on your listing must connect to a person able to activate the emergency response plan at any time during active tours.

1.5 Safety-Related Cancellations

Where genuine safety conditions require cancellation, you must document the basis (weather reports, government advisories, equipment failure report) and retain records for at least 2 years. Refer to the Booking & Cancellation Policy for cancellation procedures.

2. Guide Qualifications

2.1 Required Certifications

All guides conducting experiences listed on Vyete must hold relevant certification appropriate to the experience type:

| Experience Category | Certification Requirement | |---|---| | Safari / wildlife | Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) certification or Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) equivalence | | Marine / boat excursions | Valid maritime licence issued by the Kenya Maritime Authority | | Aerial / aviation | Kenya Civil Aviation Authority certification | | Mountaineering / high-altitude | Mountain Club of Kenya qualification or recognised international equivalent | | Cultural and general tours | Kenya Tourism Board registered guide licence | | Culinary and speciality | Relevant professional qualification as applicable |

Vyete may request copies of guide certifications during onboarding or at any time during your registration.

2.2 Language Requirements

Guides must speak the language or languages in which the experience is listed. If you offer an experience in multiple languages, you must have certified guides for each.

2.3 Fitness and Sobriety

Guides must not be under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances while leading an experience. A Tour Operator that permits a guide to operate in an impaired state will be subject to immediate account suspension.

3. Group Size Compliance

You must not exceed the maximum group size stated in your listing. Where a safety-based limit applies (boat capacity as certified by the maritime authority, vehicle seating limits, KWS park group limits), that limit takes precedence over the listing setting and is an absolute maximum.

4. Participant Health and Accessibility

4.1 Pre-Booking Disclosures

Fitness requirements and any health conditions that make an activity unsuitable for a participant must be clearly stated in the listing. Customers with relevant conditions who book despite the warning do so at their own risk, but you must still take reasonable care for their safety.

4.2 Accessibility

Where an experience is not accessible to persons with certain disabilities, this must be stated in the listing. You may not refuse a booking from a person with a disability unless accessibility is genuinely incompatible with the safe delivery of the experience.

5. Incident Reporting

5.1 Serious Incidents

In the event of participant injury, death, or a serious safety incident, you must:

  1. Contact local emergency services immediately.
  2. Contact your insurance provider.
  3. Notify Vyete at [email protected] within 4 hours of the incident.
  4. Report the incident to the Tourism Regulatory Authority and any other applicable regulatory body.
  5. Preserve all documentation, communications, and equipment involved.

5.2 Vyete Investigation

Vyete may suspend the relevant listing pending investigation of any serious safety incident. Vyete will cooperate with regulatory investigations and may be required to share records with the applicable authority.

6. Child Safeguarding

For experiences involving minors:

  • All guides must not have convictions for offences involving children.
  • Activities designed for or marketed to children must be delivered in a manner that prioritises child safeguarding.
  • Parental or guardian consent must be obtained for participants under 18 where required.