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.
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.
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.
