- The report “Support for Standardization in the tourism sector” highlights the outstanding role national and international standards play in the economy's recovery, providing quality, competition and generating confidence.
- A good example is the global standard ISO/PAS 5643 for safe tourism against COVID-19, led by Spain, based on a commitment by MINCOTUR through the Secretariat of State for Tourism to ICTE, which resulted in the UNE 0066 Standards which have now become a global benchmark.
- The Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification collaborates with leading Spanish tourism organizations, such as the Secretariat of State for Tourism, SEGITTUR or ICTE, among others, in the development of Spanish and global standards for the sector's recovery.
20 May 2021. The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has published the report "Support for Standardization in the tourism sector", which highlights the outstanding contribution of international and national standards to the recovery of the tourism sector worldwide by building trust in the market. Technical standards reflect the consensus of world and national leading experts on best practices.
One notable example is the ISO/PAS 5643 global standard, which emerged from the assignment issued by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism through the Secretary of State for Tourism, to the Spanish Tourism Quality Institute (ICTE) in an effort to standardize protocols nationally for the different tourism sub-sectors. Subsequently, they became Spanish Specification UNE 0066, developed by UNE, which has become the basis for the global and European benchmark.
The report reveals the existence of 13 Spanish technical standardization committees in which experts from relevant Spanish organizations have developed more than 40 key UNE standards for the quality and competitiveness of tourist services and the digitization of tourist destinations. These cover practically all tourist activities: from diving and rural accommodation, to travel agencies, ski stations and mountain resorts and spas. ISO
The Spanish standardization body collaborates with leading Spanish tourism organizations, such as the Secretariat of State for Tourism of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism; the National Corporation for Innovation and Tourism Technology Management (SEGITTUR) or the Spanish Tourism Quality Institute (ICTE), among others.
UNE serves as the voice of Spanish experts in global forums at which key standards for Spanish interests are developed. As a result, the Spanish standards body, along with the ICTE, lead the ISO/TC 228 international technical committee for standardization on tourism and related services. In this committee, experts from 109 countries and over 20 prestigious international organizations have published 35 ISO standards and are developing 12 projects in areas such as medical tourism, adventure tourism, marinas, accommodation and catering.
Many international standards are based on Spanish standards, thus exporting Spanish expertise and knowledge to the rest of the world. For example, Standard UNE-ISO 13009 on beaches or UNE-ISO 22483 on hotels.
Spain also leads the future ISO 21902 on accessible tourism for all, to be published this summer. It will be the first international standard in this field and it has received the support of the ONCE Foundation, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), UNE and the Royal Board of Disability.
Roadmap on the SDGs
The report also highlights how technical standards for tourism help to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. For example, Standard ISO 21416 - Requirements and Guidelines for the Sustainable Practice of Recreational Diving, is a tool for the sustainable conservation and use of the oceans, seas and marine resources that helps to comply with the SDG 14 Life Below Water.
The Report is available here.
