Hygiene as a Travel Essential: Touching Towns Set to Define New Norms

VMPL

New Delhi [India], December 4: Every long trip on India's highway carries a similar discomfort: unhygienic washrooms, shabby food stalls and unkempt rooms. Despite the rapid expansion of highways and booming infrastructure, basic hygiene standards, which is one crucial aspect of travel, remains deserted.

In a country that is rapidly advancing in tech and infrastructure, should hygiene be considered a luxury, or a necessity? Some people think it's a minor inconvenience but it's a genuine struggle for travellers, especially women and senior citizens.

Long journeys demand adequate halts for refreshments. But after observing the current state of facilities, people are anxious about when and where they can take a break. Along the highway, shiny toll plazas, restrooms, eateries and fuel stations are showcased but they lack cleanliness and because of poor maintenance and absence of basic amenities travellers are forced to compromise on water intakes and ignore natural urges. What must be a refreshing pause in a journey becomes a most unwelcomed part of travel.

Amid heightened concerns post pandemic and expanding health consciousness, hygiene initiatives like TOUCHING TOWNS is working to redefine hygiene standards along highways.

It shows that transformation from unkempt rooms to well-maintained restrooms is possible.

They highlight how highways can meet the norm of traveller-friendly ecosystems by setting new benchmarks in restroom designs, cleanliness and maintenance.

Touching Towns has taken a collaborative approach, instead of building new infrastructure, they are partnering directly with hotels, restaurants and rest areas at highways. By making consistent efforts with business owners, Touching Towns ensures that hygiene as an essential part is maintained. According to Anshuman Chaudhary, Founder, Touching Towns, hygienic space is top most priority with clean, safe and well-maintained restrooms that not only freshen up travellers mind but also boost the reputation of these bodies. A trusted, hygienic restaurant or hotel stop is more likely to attract repeat visitors and gain positive word of mouth. In this way, hygiene can be addressed as a public good and a business advantage.

Touching Towns doesn't stop at clean restrooms, its transformation is about creating a system of sustained hygiene. Its practical tools are:

* Training & Awareness: Organizing staff training programs to empower employees with knowledge and help them adopt modern hygiene practices for long term sustainability.

* Certification of hygiene: Providing visible hygiene certification as a trusted seal for hotels and restaurants that meet rigorous hygiene standards. Tech-driven monitoring: Regular cleanliness checks and transparent feedback systems for customers

THE POST PANDEMIC VIEWPOINT

Public awareness about hygiene and wellness has heightened after the pandemic. The world has grown more cautious and travellers are more likely to choose clean and tidy places where they feel safe and cared for. By acting now, Touching Towns is narrowing the divide between what travellers expect and what they experience.

THE FUTURE ANGLE

By ensuring travellers zero compromise on basic dignity and wellness during their journey, Touching Towns envisions this model expanding across India beyond Delhi-Chandigarh Highway. The motive is clear; 'To create a network of trusted, hygienic, well-maintained stops that make highway journeys comfortable and safe.'

In the realm of public hygiene, Touching Towns is positioning itself as an educator, standard setter and enabler. Their vision is to transform Indian highways into journeys where stops are not dreaded but welcomed--where every halt reflects comfort, care, and progress, seamlessly linking the nation's roadways with the traveller's satisfaction.

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