HOTREC, the European business association of hotels, restaurants and cafes, accredited the Quality Program of Swiss Tourism under its renewed European Hospitality Quality (EHQ) scheme. The EHQ is HOTREC’s umbrella quality scheme for hospitality related quality schemes, and provides for a reference model at European level. “HOTREC welcomes the decision of the Swiss Quality Program, one of the best established in Europe, to continue the cooperation with HOTREC with its accreditation under the renewed EHQ scheme” said Kent Nystrom, President of HOTREC.

The Quality Program of Swiss Tourism was the first one to be accredited by HOTREC’s EHQ scheme in 2007. Following the recent simplification of the EHQ scheme, the reduction of its levels from three to one and some adjustments to its criteria, it was first the Quality Program of Swiss Tourism which was seeking for an accreditation under the renewed conditions, supported by GastroSuisse and hotelleriesuisse. Following the evaluation of HOTREC the second level of the Swiss Quality Program was considered to fulfil all the current requirements of the EHQ scheme. Enterprises entitled to bear the Swiss double “Q” are also entitled to display the EHQ label for marketing purposes. For guests the Q labels are the guarantee for an excellent tool allowing for a reliable and high quality service provision in the given establishments.

“The improvement of quality awareness and assurance of service quality in the Swiss tourism branch is very important to us. We are satisfied that these efforts are also recognized at European level “, said Chantal Beck, Head of the Quality Program of Swiss Tourism.

The other schemes accredited under the EHQ scheme are supposed to undergo their reassessment within the next two years’ time with the renewed accreditation conditions. The EHQ label is a registered Community Trademark, with protection within the European Union and, among others, in Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

“HOTREC is satisfied with the first accreditation under the renewed EHQ scheme and we are looking forward to applications from other countries as well in order to make this benchmark more widely accessible to the tourism market across Europe” commented Akos Niklai, Chair of HOTREC’s Quality Board.

Source: http://www.traveldailynews.com