Quality in the tourism and travel sector means meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
Important general criteria are:
- Value for money: the product or service should reflect the cost-performance relation. The consistency of the service within the value-frame is also important. All elements should, in the eyes of the customer, fit together.
- Customer orientation: the product should, of course, be able to generate revenue for the seller, but it is more important that it should be created to serve the customer.
- Transparency: the customer should be clearly informed what products and services he/she can expect. You can of course add as much intangible values as you like, as friendly personnel, unique atmosphere, or good advice/information/recommendation on regional attractions.
- Compliance: operation in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
- You should introduce or have introduced some form of quality management:
- Define criteria of quality
- Monitor these criteria and keep a written record on it
- Persistently care for the improvements of products and services
- Give your personnel the chance to learn about quality improvement
- Clarify responsibilities for quality management and response to customer opinions
Quality in Tourism and Travel, with regard to the customer, is much about coming back. Quality Management is closely linked to continuous improvement, it is not so much about what you have, but what you do. Quality is not an asset you own for all times but a way of reacting to customer expectations and new tendencies of the market. The reward is increasing customer satisfaction, returning customers and positive word of mouth or online rating about your company, which is also an easy and reliable means of acquiring new customers.
The specialized certificates regard criteria that are special to the respective field. Ask for the detailed criteria list of the respective field.
