10 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
QUALITY IN TOURISM
Quality in Tourism –
Modernising Assessment Schemes Across The UK
Quality in Tourism has responded to the growing demand for an independent and
modern assessment process with its Safe, Clean & Legal and star grading schemes.
We look at why the tourism sector needs a
new assessment framework and highlight
how the common standards in the UK just
aren’t appropriate for the industry in the 21st
century.
For many years accommodation providers
such as hotels and B&Bs have been ‘shoe-
horned’ into an archaic star-rating scheme;
providing items of furniture for each
bedroom to comply with the standards,
having a bible in the room, and providing
services such as an evening meal or valet
parking (when it isn’t appropriate, necessary
or financially viable) in order to reach the
ultimate goal of achieving more stars.
Some of the country’s best accommodation
with first-class service, lavish bedrooms in
stunning settings cannot be awarded that
illustrious five-star rating purely because
they do not have a lift. Similarly, some of
the county’s most unique properties such
as luxury treehouses or design led boutique
B&B’s cannot be graded because they don’t
fit in with the old-fashioned prescribed
standards. accordingly. Disruptors in the industry have
changed the rules, it’s time we changed them
too.” Deborah concluded.
“I don’t belie ve in the star rating anymore,
or at least not how it has been marginalised
by lack of development, over grading (as a
commercial motivator) and under grading
where prescriptive physical and service
standards apply. Consumer demands and
expectations, as well as the sheer range of
types of properties on offer have evolved
drastically since the traditional grading
system became a benchmark of excellence,
and it’s about time that assessments moved
with the times,” said Deborah Heather,
director at Quality in Tourism. Quality in Tourism is on a mission to provide
customers with the information that they
need with annual assessments that can
assure consumers that the basic Safe,
Clean and Legal principles are fulfilled, and
a grading scheme is in place that is of real
worth.
“In the new Quality in Tourism schemes,
we don’t believe in forcing providers into
a category, we believe how they market
themselves is entirely up to them. As long as
they are transparent in what they are offering
then the quality and service will be graded
WEBSITE: www.qualityintourism.com
Quality in Tourism’s Safe, Clean and Legal
scheme has already been adopted by the
Short Term Accommodation Association
that works with agencies and booking
platforms including Airbnb and HomeAway
as well as many Destination Management
Organisations such as Visit Cornwall, Visit Isle
of Wight and Welcome to Yorkshire to name
a few.