Content : Standards
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The Directive on services in the internal market (2006/123/EC) provides that voluntary European standards with the aim of, inter alia, facilitating information to the recipient and the quality of service provision should be encouraged (Article 26:5).
The European Standardisation Committee (CEN) has already standardized the terminology and description criteria for hotels and other tourism accommodation (EN 13809:2003 and EN ISO 18513:2003). But the principal pressure for tourism standardization is currently applied at international level through the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO). Its Technical Committee (TC) 228 was set up in January 2005 to develop standards for tourism and related services.
HOTREC position
Most HOTREC member associations are firmly opposed to the development of standards for the hospitality industry at European or international level. The need for international standards for the hospitality industry has not been proved. Contrary to goods, hospitality services are generally tailored to the customer.
In addition, international standards would undermine the diversity of hospitality services which reflects different cultures and geographical situations, and constitutes one of the major attractions for customers. The latter do not expect to find standardised conditions everywhere they travel. On the contrary, their expectations vary according to destination, age as well as whether the trip is made for business of for pleasure.
HOTREC maintains that standardization bodies should not take any initiatives without the support of the industry. The development of standards should remain fully market-driven; the role of the standardization bodies should be to assist with methodology and logistics only in cases where the industry would desire a specific standard.