Good Quality Control In Sustainable Tourism Essay Example

Sustainable tourism involves developing informed participation by all stakeholders in the industry including political leaders. It seeks to maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and in ensuring that their experience is meaningful. Sustainable tourism requires constant monitoring as well as introduction of preventive and corrective measures whenever there is a need to do so. Quality control is part of this process and is important in ensuring that the pertinent aspects such as the environment, culture of the locals are protected but at the same time there is revenue and employment creation both presently and in the future.
Quality control involves the use of various mechanisms in order to achieve quality of tourism performance and products. It involves the use of Codes of Conduct which are a set of guidelines whose aim is to influence the attitudes and behavior of those following them. They act as codes of ethics that govern the major players in the industry; the tourists, the host communities and the tourism industry in general. An example of such codes is, to ensure that any habitat of flora and fauna that is affected by tourism is conserved. Although Codes promote responsibility, they are weak in achieving desired results because they lack specific objectives. They also face the challenge in that they are self regulated, and the participant does not need to have any commitment. Codes are also important because they are broad and cover almost every aspect concerned with sustainable tourism. They are important because they provide a basis for identifying suitable indicators of sustainability and common ground for networking. Codes are an inexpensive quality control mechanism where any persons, communities and organizations are free to participate and prove their commitment to sustainable tourism.
Ecolabels are also used as a mechanism to achieve quality of performance and products. Ecolables are used by those in the tourism industry to demonstrate external recognition for their sustainability practices and what they have accomplished. The ecolables are given by an awarding body that works in consultation with a verifying body. The bodies must be reputable and able to establish, monitor transparent and understandable indicator criteria. They must also make equitable, and timely decisions concerning the requests made by the applicants. They provide a base for applicants to be certified and their efforts recognised. The ecolable is useful in promotional efforts, in the tourist market, and holders use them to advertise themselves. Ecolables should be subject to accreditation and provide clear indicators to anyone wishing to investigate achievements. Ecolables allow the bearer to possess a competitive advantage over rival products that do not hold the label. Ecolables need to be widely recognized by all stakeholders. They also continue to evolve and contain different levels such as those with government endorsements. Ecolables can be regional or global, for example, the Green Globe that covers all products and destinations. Ecolables are expensive, and the applicants have to pay a fee. Ecolables face the problem of being ineffective if the whole process ceases to be rigorously done such that the criteria are not clear. In general, it is more involving and requires constant monitoring to ensure that efforts and practices that meet quality standards are maintained.
Awards are also used in the tourism industry to achieve quality of performances and products. Awards are given by bodies that evaluate, verify and recognize products that meet set standards of social, cultural and environmental performance. Awards are different from Ecolables in that they are only available to a small number of applicants who are not charged any fees. They usually last for a short period of about a year when the winner holds the award. They have benefits such as worldwide recognition and involve prizes such as money to the winners. An example of an award in the tourism industry is the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Awards are not considered as effective in quality control because only a limited number of qualifying products can win the awards. It is also not clear whether the recipients of such awards actually practice good actual environmental and social, cultural practices. Awards are used by product owners as a means of gaining publicity and advertising rather than promoting sustainable tourism.
In conclusion, quality control in the tourism industry, serves to show adherence to relevant principles and practices. Participants who adhere have their products differentiated form those that do not. The different methods of quality control have different limitations but also offer different benefits. This means that members can get publicity and attract green tourists and other customers who appreciate sustainable tourism.