II.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY,

CLASSIFICATION, BRANDS, CERTIFICATION,
ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY

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COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND QUESTIONS

• Is quality a luxury?

• Does quality mean high spending customers?

• Is quality only for the rich?

• Are quality and class / category / brand the same thing?

• Is quality just a commercial approach?

• How does quality relate to ethics and sustainability?

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 SOME ANSWERS REGARDING LUXURY AND
QUALITY

¨ LUXURY TRANSLATES INTO:

¨ Quantity / abundance
¨ Space
¨ Availability of uses and services
¨ Type of (expensive) equipment / materials used

¨ QUALITY MEANS:
¨ Working condition and maintenance of equipment and materials
¨ Ergonomy, comfort, effective access to destinations, facilities,
uses and services
¨ Seamless and humane service
¨ Meaningful experience

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 SOME ANSWERS REGARDING CLASSIFICATION
AND QUALITY

CATEGORY / CLASS DENOTES:

• Level of luxury, hence:
¨ Physical and services characteristics of establishment
¨ Level of product / service sophistication
Category is static
QUALITY AMOUNTS TO:
• Reaching expected level of consumer satisfaction within given category /
class
• Delivering products / services as promised in good order
Quality is dynamic

¨ CONCLUSIONS:
• Quality corresponds to each category designed for determined market
segment
• Quality for all spenders, but
• Higher levels of quality need to be commercially viable and imply cost
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 RELATIONSHIP OF BRANDS TO QUALITY AND
CATEGORIES
• Brands are commercial trademarks distinguishing products within their
generic types

• If a general brand has developed related sub-brands, these can be

compared to classification categories

• Branding is not an obstacle to grading establishments according to

categories

• Each brand or sub-brand establishes its own type, content (scope) and
level of quality

• Brands are therefore associated with determined quality characteristics

• Existence of brand attribution does not ensure compliance with quality

characteristics unless quality is properly managed
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 RELATION OF QUALITY TO CERTIFICATION

• QUALITY can be indirectly audited and eventually certified in terms of:

– Technical specifications
– Processes and management systems

• First-, second- and third-party audits and certification

• Audits are always useful

• Certification should meet specific objectives

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CERTIFY OR NOT?

It’s only through the

eyes of others that
one can truly see
one’s self.

Confucius

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY AND ETHICS

ETHICS IN TOURISM:
TOURISM
¨ Assumed / learnt / result of education
¨ Permanent approach, proven by aptitude and demonstrated by
attitude:
• Not to injure
• Justice
• Respect
• Participation

¨ Adapts to people’s identities and needs

QUALITY THEREFORE:
¨ Derives from ethics as a basis but needs to be trained
¨ Adds knowledge how to do things right (know-how) at all levels and
at all times

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RELATIONSHIP OF QUALITY TO SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY:
¨ Seeks fair economic remuneration and enhancement of
environmental and social resources without damaging them

DIFFERENCE:
¨ Sustainability is a long-term objective
¨ Quality is perceived instantly

QUALITY:
¨ Is part of sustainability plan based on ethical (“no damage”) and
managerial considerations
¨ Many sustainability indicators substantiate quality requirements

RESULT:
¨ Quality adds commercial / competitive value to sustainability plans
¨ Sustainability can be a long-term result of continuous quality driven
development
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