This informal CPD article Will ISO 22483 Help the Hotel Industry amid Covid-19 Pandemic was provided by Punyam Academy, an industry leader in training of international compliance standards.
At the time when the entire world started battling COVID-19 pandemic and the global hotel industry entered into its worst phase, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published in April 2020 the first edition of ISO 22483:2020 Tourism and related services — Hotels — Service requirements. Although it was just a coincidence, because the standard development process was started much before the pandemic haunted the world, the publication of this new standard is definitely a good sign for the entire community of tourists and hoteliers.
Even as the tourism and hotel services are coming back to normalcy in many parts of the world, ISO consultants are receiving large numbers of enquiries regarding ISO 22483:2020 and its certification benefits. This article will help you know about this international standard and its benefits.
What is ISO 22483?
ISO 22483 is an international quality standard for hotel services. This standard covers the quality management of entire hotel services. The aim of this standard is to ensure that hotels offer a satisfactory guest experience. The ISO 22483 standard provides a framework for providing the minimum quality service expected by global tourists. It provides a common and achievable reference for all hotels in terms of quality service provision. It sets out requirements and recommendations for staff, services, cleanliness, maintenance, safety and security, events, entertainment activities, guest satisfaction and supply management of hotels.
The requirements are applicable to budget and luxury hotels, star hotels, resorts, tourist lodges, hotel services provided by airlines and railways. In ISO 22483:2020, consideration has been given to different types of hotels in the world, existing categorization systems for hotels, business models of tourism sector, sizes and services offered by hotels, current demands of guests and global trends. This international standard will help hotels to effectively provide quality services to guests.
Hotel services covered by ISO 22483:2020
This standard covers the following services mainly offered by hotels to the guests/tourists or consumers of hotel services:
- Front desk - Reservation, Check-in, Check-out, Luggage handling, VIP services.
- Accommodation - Rooms with amenities.
- Food & beverages.
- Pools, Sauna/ Spa, etc.
- Events – Organization & management.
- Entertainment.
- Ancillary services, e.g. hairdresser, gymnasium, business centre.
Benefits of ISO 22483 implementation
Among the numerous benefits of implementing ISO 22483 requirements, some key benefits are listed below:
- Improves guest services right from reservation to checkout.
- Improves cleanliness, hygiene and food safety, which is most crucial from the COVID-19 point of view.
- Better organization and management of events for guests.
- Helps to offer structured and planned entertainment activities for the guests.
- Promotes risk and accident prevention in the hotel.
- Improves safety and security of guests, staff and premises.
- Helps to enhance facilities and amenities provided to guests.
- Helps in supply management – establishing internal requirements for purchasing products, helps hotels in identification, selection purchase and evaluation of products to be purchased; selection and evaluation of supplier’s become easier.
- Improves overall experience of the guests and their satisfaction level.
- Improves communication with guests and develops long-lasting relationships. Repeated visits by guest is possible.
- Helps to reduce wastage of resources (both by guests and staff) and thus saves money. It is a commonly observed trend that satisfied guests generally don’t waste resources including water, electricity and food, beverages and complementary services. They also cooperate in housekeeping. Staff training also helps to reduce wastage.
- Increases bookings and revenue – a good management system improves overall number of bookings, reduces cancellations, refunds and thereby increases revenue.
- Increases business sustainability of hotels.
How ISO 22483 certification can help hotels?
ISO 22483:2020 certification will be beneficial for all sizes and types of hotels. Therefore we recommend that all hotels should appoint a personnel, who has taken ISO 22483 auditor training before gaining this certification as it will help them to:
- Demonstrate enhanced quality of services provided to guests, including cleanliness and hygiene levels.
- Increase the hotel’s credibility; regarding claims about the services offered.
- Increase online visibility of the hotel.
- Attract global tourists and travelers.
- Increase brand reputation and market value.
- Increase revenue and profitability; increased number of guests will increase revenue; on the other side reduction in waste and cost saving increases overall profitability.
- Increase acceptability of hotel services by regulatory authorities, including food safety authority, fire safety authority and municipal and civil administration.
Hence, we can conclude that in current global trend in the tourist and hospitality industries, ISO 22483:2020 certification will definitely give a competitive edge to hotels who have achieved this milestone.
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