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In its Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism, the European Commission established the goal of reinforcing the image and perception of Europe as a tourist destination characterized by high quality standards and sustainability.
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The future of European tourism relies on the quality of the tourist experience – tourists will recognise that places that care for the environment, their employees and local communities are also more likely to care for them. By integrating sustainability concerns into their activities, tourism stakeholders will thus protect the competitive advantages that make Europe the most attractive tourist destination in the world – its intrinsic diversity, its variety of landscapes and cultures. In addition, addressing sustainability concerns in a socially responsible manner will help the tourism industry to innovate its products and services and increase their quality and value (Brussels, 19.10.2007 COM(2007) 621 final). |
The key to a successful tourism business lies in its quality whereas its durability lies in its sustainability and the sustainability of the larger area in which it is based. Because of the increasing awareness of tourists and visitors to environmental and sustainability issues, a business with a caring and concerning approach to these matters will also achieve higher standards of quality and customer satisfaction.
Quality is a term applied nowadays to all kind of products and services. Whereas in industry quality is mostly related to sets of standards developed by the manufactures, in the service industry it is basically related to customer satisfaction. In both areas, however, sector regulations and standards are always decisive to assess the quality of a product or service. Customer satisfaction in the tourism industry is completely dependent on the customer previous expectations and whether they are fulfilled or not. High quality does not mean highest prize/highest standards. A customer will find a rural accommodation of quality as long as it meets his or her expectations and the relation quality/pricing is appropriate.
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Quality exists only to the extent that a product or service meets the customer’s requirements and expectations. Accordingly, the individual elements making up a strategy based on quality standards must be founded on a thorough understanding of the customer (Weiermair K., On the concept and definition of quality in tourism In: Quality Management in Tourism, AIEST, St Gallen, 1997). |
Individual expectations are not so difficult to meet, provided the tourism entrepreneur acquires a certain degree of flexibility and is willing to be of service. There exist, however, a minimum set of requirements and standards that can be worked in advance and that will help your business to improve and succeed. These are the issues that will be tackled in this unit along with those of sustainability, or the ability of your business and the community in which it exists to be durable in time and address environmental and social issues.
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4. Quality and sustainability | Objectives and Methods |
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