Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to draw attention to the importance of international standardization in tourism services with a view to the elimination of barriers to free movement of tourism services and its importance for consumers: visitors in tourism, when the international standards encourage consumers responsibility, enforce their legitimate demands, expectations, safety, and security. This contribution also describes the basic guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the tourism industry. These measures will contribute to the recovery of the tourism sector and restore the confidence of the traveler. Furthermore, the measures emphasize the possibilities of greater acceptance of international standards for tourism services in the post-COVID-19 period. They will also contribute to faster renewal of individual sectors/tourism services. At the same time, they contribute to reopening and engaging individual destination/countries in international tourism.
TopIntroduction
Globalization is a powerful force shaping national and regional economies. Services, including tourism, are the fastest-growing sector of the global economy. Globalization results in easier access across borders, which for the tourism industry means more foreign tourism as well as increased global competition from international tourist destinations. More specifically, globalization influences tourism in several ways (Dwyer et al., 2008): tourism flows, the diffusion of ICT, tourism networks, choice of destination region, growth in tourism travel, Chinese and Indian industrialization. A key element of successful tourism industry is the ability to recognize and deal with changes. Over the past six decades, tourism experienced continued expansion and diversification. An ever-increasing number of destinations worldwide have opened and invested in tourism. Tourism was one of the fastest-growing economic sectors in the world until 2019. However, since the pandemic of COVID-19 started (in China 2019), the tourism sector has been seriously affected. According to UNWTO (2021), due to COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), the world witnessed an unprecedented 73% drop in international tourism recorded in 2020. Tourism suffered a loss of 1.1 billion international tourists, and a loss of US$ 1.3 trillion in export revenues from tourism. Moreover, 100 to 120 million jobs were effectively at risk. With such an important impact on the economy, countries saw the need to identify and implement measures that reduce the spread of the pandemic and recover tourism confidence to travel and to consume tourism services.
In this regard, national, regional, public, and private protocols were developed against COVID-19 worldwide with different approaches and scopes. It seemed relevant and necessary to harmonize the measures to reduce the risk of contagion of COVID-19 in a single protocol providing a framework to the countries with the agreed minimum requirements and recommendations to considering the contagion risks. The foremost aim of international standardization is to facilitate the exchange of goods and services through the elimination of technical trade barriers and develop provisions regarding GATS Article VI on Domestic Regulation. The aim is to develop different fields so that they can „contribute to creating more appropriate, trade-friendly and transparent regulatory frameworks to facilitate and promote trade in services. This applies to both national standards and „international standards of relevant international organization “. Their focus is: licensing procedures, professional qualifications requirements and technical standards intervening into effective market access and specifically the commercial presence of foreign services suppliers in the national marketplace. This activity concerns the whole services sector. Tourism constitutes a major sector of services in terms of the trade volume, the liberalization commitments already made, and the objectives of progressive liberalization. The developing countries are expected to benefit from it.
At national level, there is a remarkable trend towards defining new standards for tourism activities in search of quality, safety, and competitiveness. It is visible not only in well-developed tourism markets. It is also expected, required, and eventually achieved in new emerging tourism receiving countries. Virtually all top tourism destinations in the world are engaged in standards-driven programs aimed at quality with a view to sustain their market share and competitiveness. Developing countries are the ones who most ask for international assistance in defining quality standards for their tourism activities, as this is regarded as a measure to enhance and market their tourism products and thus better connect with the world marketplace.
Authors (Sasidharon et al. 2002) say that provision of internationally recognized environmental awards (standards) would be instrument to the tourism enterprises of developing countries in marketing their services to high-spending, environmentally conscious western tourists.
Key Terms in this Chapter
COVID-19: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In the years 2019-2021, this virus spread worldwide into a pandemic.
Tourist Organization: Provider offering tourism services and products.
Standard: Originally a level of quality, used as a measure, norm, or model. Primarily understood as mandatory rules, or legally binding measures. ISO standard consists of requirements and rights, it is voluntary, and it is the best practice recognized and written down by majority.
Certification: An official document attesting to a status or level of achievement. Some tourism establishments, especially hotels, have begun to display certification insignia (especially according to ISO 9000 and ISO 14 000 standards) thus alluding the guaranteed quality. Mentioned type of the ISO standards, so far, refer to management certification to support quality. It should therefore be made clear that undergoing a certification process does not necessarily promise all quality, or the quality expected by the individual customer at a given time. Certification does not intervene in the quality level. This is established by the company itself. It does not even provide for management excellence. Certification is therefore a starting point of a whole process aiming streamlining a company´s operations and subsequently rewarding it with a quality product.
Category or Class: Attributing an establishment or service to a certain class. It does automatically carry the characteristics of quality, although it may give rise to the expectations of such, especially when it comes to higher class establishment (e.g., 5-star hotel). Official classification tends to be disliked by some hoteliers, but consumers prefer to be guided by classification in making their preliminary choices.
Quality Labels: Degree or standard of excellence. A tourism establishment or service may obtain a quality label or distinction by meeting the standards established by its own professional organization, or the organization it joins, or an external organization conceding such distinction on its own right. The effectiveness of quality labels will be checked only over time. Some prestigious organizations such as Michelin or the American Hotel and Motel Association enjoy good reputation. The National quality labels have already started in many places such as in Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic.
Brand/Brands: Brand may include a series of quality attributes. Eventually a brand may be representative of a certain service idiom and level of quality. Brands and particularly trademarks can replace certification. Commercial brands are protected by intellectual property rights.