Heli Tooman, PhD

!  Lecture: !  Estonian tourism quality programme and other

quality systems used in tourism. !  Tourism destination quality management

discussions and models. !  Practical work: !  Is there a need for a quality system that would

encompass tourism destinations soundly? What should it look like? Who should coordinate it?

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!  Europe ise the leading tourism destination in the world. !  This is why tourism plays a leading role in the

development of many European regions. !  Sustainable tourism assures the preservation and

improvement of European cultural and natural heritage. !  The objective of the communion politics covering 2007–

2013 is the complete mobilisation of tourism for the sake of regional development and creating new work places.

!  Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund offer necessary support for improving the competitiveness of tourism and quality on a regional and local level. !  Infrastructure that is being created for tourism is

supporting local development and creating or mainitaining work places even in regions that are described by the fading of industry or rural activity or where urbanism is being resurrected. !  This is why tourism is an important tool for the integration

of less developed regions or for allowing them access to equal benefits that accompany economic growth.

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!  Between 2007–2013 EU-s direct spending on tourism in the frames of communion politics make up more that 6 billion euros. It is 1.8% of the whole budget.

!  3.8 billion euros are budgeted for improving tourism services, 1.4 billion euros for the protection and development of natural heritage and 1.1 billion euros for the promotion of natural objects.

!  In addition to that it is possible to support tourism infrastructure and services with other means as well, i.e. research and innovation, the promotion of small and medium sized enterprises, information technology applications and human capital.

!  For more information: European Commission – Tourism

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!  Tourism plays a great role in the reorganisation and development of economy. Thanks to strong ties with other economic branches tourism influences the whole economy and increases the demand for products and services in other areas.

!  About 8% of the Estonian GDP is created by tourism industry. Estonian tourism politics is a part of the state’s economic policies with a general purpose of gaining economic and social benefits for Estonian citizens by maintaining stable economic growth.

!  The economy in general benefits from tourism when more and more visitors values Estonian showpieces: historical and natural heritage, natural environment, traditional lifestile, hospitality

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!  The purpose of tourism politics is to enhance the international competitiveness of Estonian tourism. For this it is important to: !  broaden product selection and improve their quality; !  broaden the geografical and seasonal distribution of

tourism in Estonia; !  improve the accessibility of Estonian tourism

information in Estonia and other countries; !  improve Estonian tourism logistic position and

accessibility; !  enhance investments in marketing Estonia and in

tourism information; !  predisposing investment in developing tourism

infrastructure, especially on a regional level; !  strengthen public and private sector cooperation. Source: The Principles of Estonian Tourism Politics http://

www.mkm.ee

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Vision. By 2013 Estonia is an attractive tourism destination and with its nordic nature, unique cultural heritage and qualitative tourism products induces the wish to visit Estonia, stay here longer and return in the future.

By 2013: !  Estonia as a tourism destination is well-known and valued !  Seasonality has decreased, i.e. we are being visited throughout the

year !  Information on Estonia and its tourism products is easily accessible

and up-to-date !  Our tourism competence is professional !  Domestic networks and cooperation with neighbouring countries are

working !  All Estonian regions are attractive for visitors

Objectives: !  Estonia is well-known on an international level and a valued tourism

destination on a national level. !  Estonian tourism products and services are qualitative, diversified and in

harmony with the principles of sustainable development. !  Tourism information is up-to-date and easily accessible to everyone.

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!  Enterprise Estonia coordinates two tourism quality programmes: !  Estonian Tourism Quality Programme a.k.a A Sign

of Definite Development !  International Environment Management System

a.k.a the eco-sign Green Key. !

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!  Estonian Tourism Quality Programme is a collection of possibilities to study in order to help tourism entrepreneurs start with developing quality in their enterprises. Tourism enterprises all over Estonia who are interested in a persistent development of their businesses have a chance to join the programme. The main emphasis of the quality programme is on developing customer focuse in tourism enterprises.

!  The model of the quality programme is tourism and service-specific. The programme is simple and most suitable for small or medium sized enterprises. The Tourism Quality Programme is based on the philosophy of sound quality management and the ideas of organizational excellence.

!  The model of the programme suggests that any tourism enterprise that has chosen the right target group is under the right management able to meet or exceed its clients’ expectation, i.e. offer quality. The main emphasis of the quality management model is improving customer focusing.

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!  Objectives of the quality programme: !1. The objective of the quality programme is to raise the competitiveness of Estonia as a tourism destination by improving the quality of tourism products and services and by broadening the variety. !2. To raise entrepreneurs’ awareness of the need to develop their business and employees, opportunities and the ideas of quality management!3. To raise entrepreneurs’ awareness on the market!4. To raise tourists’ satisfaction with Estonian tourism products and service quality. !The role models for the quality programme !  European quality award model Committed to Excellence !  Irelands national acknowledgement system aimed at micro and small

enterprises (Optimus) !  Swiss’ tourism quality programm (Qualitätsmanagement in Schweizer

Tourismus) !  More detailed information: www.eas.ee

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!  Estonia started to give out the Green Key label in 2001 and today (10.08.2010) 21 accommodation enterprises have joined.

!  The aim of the Green Key in Estonia is: !  The accommodation enterprises that have joined the Green

Key in Estonia shape their environmental politics, set up environmental objectives and meet the criteria that the sign sets forth.. !  The criteria are connected to a more sustainable usage of

resources by an accommodation enterprise (i.e. electricity, heat, water, waste, cleaning), using Estonian food products in their restaurants and promoting nature and local cultural heritage activities in their region.

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EHE (Estonia – the Natural Way) – quality sign is a product sign. We do not label enterprises but tourism products. This means that the sign leads to tourism products that meet the standards of qualitative eco-tourism. The same way ecological farm products have eco-signs to show their consumers which vegetables, fruits or other products have been cultivated with ecological methods.

EHE Estonian eco-tourism programme !  Is based on natural experiences that are complemented by

cultural experiences !  Uses maximum cautiousness and minimum effect on tourism

destination’s natural and cultural values !  Supports natural and heritage protection actively !  Aims at high quality of tourism experience but considering

certain ethical, economical and ecological values

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! The objective of tourism innovator / EDEN is in Estonia for the first time with the aim of acknowledging this high potential sustainable tourism destination on a European level (the award is given to one destination per year).

! This ambitious and extremely popular European award project is being brought to Estonia for the first time.

! The destination that receives the EDEN sign gets the chance to promote itself at a special event in Europe.

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!  Towards quality urban tourism. Integrated quality management (IQM) of urban tourist destinations. (2000). Brussels, European Commission. Enterprise Directorate-General Tourism Unit.

!  Towards quality rural tourism. Integrated Quality Management (IQM) of rural tourist destinations. (1999). Brussels, European Commission. Enterprise Directorate-General Tourism Unit.

!  Tooman, H., Müristaja, H. (2008). Development and Marketing of Tourism Destination. Tallinn: Argo, 166 lk.

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!  Why does tourism need integrated quality management, IQM?

!  IQM takes into account and has a positive effect on all people related to tourism industry (entrepreneurs, tourists, locals) but also on the environment (economic, natural and cultural environment etc)

!  IQM expects systematic approach !  If the traditional approaches of quality management

dwell from the quality maganement of a certain enterprise then !  Tourism destination quality management expects the

inclusion of a broad range of parties and a systematic approach

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!  The general situation of the destination, development strategies and plans, economic and social situation, business activity, employment etc

!  The environment of the destination, culture and heritage

!  Image, markets, visitors !  People – entrepreneurs, specialists, locals

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Takes a look at both internal and external quality

!  Internal quality is the value experienced by tourist throughout their journey (customer journey, visitor journey, quality journey). Public services, condition of roads, quality of drinking water, maintenance, safety etc. Objectives of quality management quite short-term.

!  External quality is greatly connected to sustainability – including land, water, energy, natural resources, usage of heritage etc. Objectives of quality management are set long-term.

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!  Commonly used (together with Malcolm Baldridge, USA) and (Deming Price, Japan models of similar principles) also in measuring and evaluating destination quality

!  Is mainly based on self-evaluation !  Consists of three stages: !  Strategy (aims, objectives, management of human

resources etc) !  Measuring (incl. each sector separately-

accommodation, transport etc) !  Evaluating results (through measurement – visitor

satisfaction, effects on environment etc)

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!  The integrated quality management of tourism destination is a quite new approach in the whole Europe (was started at the end of 1990s).

!  It enables to compare different destinations, to highlight best examples and bottlenecks.

!  IQM enables to find out: !  Visitor satisfaction !  Employee satisfaction !  Locals’ satisfaction !  Sustainability of the area (ecological, economical, socio-

cultural)

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1.  Defining partners: shared project, lead partner, allocation of roles, working order.

2.  Defining activities: strategy, analysis of present situation, setting general objectives, following the principles of sustainability, analysis of human resources, inclusion of public and private sector and local citizens, lead partner and other partners.

3.  Acting out: initiatives of the public sector, support by specialists and services for partners, all services for tourists before the visit, during the visit and after it, lead partner and other partners.

4.  Measuring quality: satisfaction of tourists, employees and locals, effect on economy and environment, lead partner and other partners.

5.  Evaluating quality: evaluating results from the measurement, defining areas of improvement, suggestions on improvement, lead partner and other partners.

+ coordination of phases and their mutual connection (intergation)

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!  Enables to collect and analyse different aspects of destination quality

!  Enambles to summarize the results, generalise and define practical suggestions on improvement: !  Improving cooperation !  Better coordination of activities and putting them

into practice !  Improving measurement and evaluation and

defining areas of improvement

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!  Does it concern an urban or a rural area? !  How accessible is it? !  What is the local infrastructure like (water supply,

electricity, roads etc)? !  What is the maintenance like? Safety? Waste management?

Etc. !  What is the tourism toleration of the area (does it need

specific research)? !  What kind of sights are there to see? !  What kind of tourism institutions and services does it

include? !  What kind of other services necessary for tourists does it

offer? !  How has the cooperation worked so far? !  How are the vertical and horizontal integration working?

Etc.

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!  Is there a need for such quality management system at all? Why? What are the present problems?

!  Who should be leading such destination quality management project and should there be other project partners?

!  What should the strategy be like based on which we could define the objectives of the project, methods and mechanisms of measurement, evaluation and control of quality?

!  Who should be the initiator? !  Should such system in Estonia be nationwide (what would be

its pros and cons?) or should each region deal with it on their own (what could follow that?)

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!  Who should be the main partners of the project and how should they be connected to each other? !  Local government !  Neighbouring local governments !  Tourism organizations of the destination !  Enterprises (only tourism enterprises or should enterprises

from linking fields be included as well? !  Education and research institutions !  Who else?

!  Who should play the leading role?

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!  Competitive advantage !  Leading and managing !  Tourism resources and infrastructure !  Marketing !  Strategic planning !  Assurance of the destination frequency of visitation !  Travel commerce !  Sustainability !  Support systems !  Support services

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!  The approaches of quality management enable us to set very different objectives or combinations of different objectives, i.e. : !  Enhance the number of visitors and prolong

tourism season in order to financially benefit the most !  Improve local living environment and the living

standards of local people !  Prolong visits at the destination, turning attention

to enhancing visitor focuse and achieving excellent quality !  Diversify tourism products and services using the

natural and cultural resources of the destination in a better way and cooperate more efficiently

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!  Defend and improve the living standars of local people !  Create new work places and improve the quality

of working !  Improve the reputation of the destination !  Create a strong destination brand etc.

!  It depends on the objectives which quality management strategy to choose in order to reach those objectives

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!  One can not develop tourism without people, one can not create quality without people!

!  What kind of people are we thinking of when we talk about the human resources of a destination and developing them?

!  To whom and what kind of trainings should be organized?

!  Who should organize those trainings?

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!  An excellent, relevant and up-to-date information on training necessities and opportunities !  Vocational education, higher education, extended

education etc !  Training possibilities in the field of tourism for working

people (what kind of trainings, for which target groups? !  Trainings for the workers of connecting fields (bus

drivers and taxi drivers, customer service representatives, public servants, police officers etc) !  Seasonal workers !  Trainings of local people, including working

possibilities in tourism !  Extremely important for everyone: foreign languages,

customer service, knowledge on destination, using information technology etc

!  Aknowledgements for participants of trainings (certificates, diplomas, omitting qualifications, recognition in media etc

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There are many quality activities: !  Public sector activities: !  Activities concerning environmental sustainability !  Activities concerning accessibility !  Activities concerning safety

!  Communication activities: !  Internal and external communication of the destination !  Training programmes !  Implementing new technologies and required trainings

!  Activities concerning tourists !  Informing, information signs !  Accommodation, catering etc !  Cooperational products, diversifying services etc

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!  Activities concerning environmental sustainability !  ?

!  Activities concerning accessibility !  ?

!  Activities concerning safety !  ?

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!  Who needs to be contacted to kick-start and put the destination quality management plans into practice? !  Local governement !  Partners !  Local citizens !  Who else?

!  Why is it important to cooperate and how can it be done?

!  The communication plan is an important part of the quality management plan

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!  Trade fairs, fairs, conferences, meetings etc – communication between tourism professionals

!  Conferences, meetings, seminars – people related to the destination tourism industry, local people

!  Seminars, meetings, e-mails etc - communication between project partners

!  Marketing materials (prints, catalogues, CDs etc) for tourism professionals, visitors, locals

!  Well-functioning and user-friendly technologies (information, subscription, answering visitors’ letters, responding to complaints

!  What would you add?

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!  Tourism information !  Visiting centres, information points !  Destination information in hotels, travel agencies,

shopping centres etc !  Event programmes, special offers, !  Feedback from visitors

!  High quality public services (police, health care, retail selling, bus and taxi drivers, banks – who else contact with tourists?)

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!  Using standardized acronyms and pictograms !  Well–functioning reservation systems everywhere !  Quick and hospitable adminission of visitors, polite and

helpful service everywhere !  First rate additional information and materials (maps, travel

plans, events) !  Hospitality and helpfulness of local people !  Different ways for doing payments (cash, credit cards) !  Hospitality and helpfulness in terminals, gas stations etc !  What would you add? NB! An example from Mexico City airport of disabled people

working in the airport

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!  Does the accommodation facility meet its name and rank (Is the spa hotel really a spa hotel or a hotel with a sauna and a bath tub?)

!  Does the restaurant meet its categories and marketing messages (an example of the Greek restaurant)

!  Do the accommodation facilities and restaurants have followed through quality programmes? If not then how to encourage them?

!  What has been done to enhance environmental friendliness and sustainability (energy usage etc), hygiene, cleanness, maintenance etc

!  What are the internal service standars, !  Is there a quality plan? !  Are there enough trainings for employees in accommodation

facilities and restaurants? !  How are disabled visitors serviced? Etc

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!  How have destination resources been integrated into tourism products?

!  Activities, events, sights to see etc !  Are the expectations, needs and wishes of different

target groups met? !  Are opening hours reasonable and flexible? !  How have changing weather conditions been taken

into account? !  How is it arranged – organization, transport, the

activities of a guide or an escort, foreign language speakers etc?

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!  Defining quality objectives and planning required activities alone is not enough

!  The quality process takes observation, measuring (i.e getting confirmation on certain features), evaluating (analyzing results) and adapting one’s activities accordingly.

!  Unfortunately the systems for measuring destination quality are still being developed and there are little ready-made measuring methods being used.

!  Quality management is mainly based on feedback and not only once but on regular feedback on the different aspects of quality.

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!  Data collection on the visitor groups of the destination

!  Developing an integrated quality management system which allows us to take the expectations and needs of different target groups into concideration and gather both qualitative and quantitive feedback

!  Gathering statistical data, traditional questionnaires, the analysis of complaints and suggestions of visitors and locals must be added to the measuring system

!  The measuring system must enable us to find out whether the objectives were achieved or not

!  The measuring system must enable us to generalize results and to change the strategy if needed

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!  Measure visitor satisfaction !  Measure the socio-economic effects on the destination that

accompany visitors !  Measure the environmental effects on the destination and its

environment that accompany visitors !  Measure the congruity of demand and offer, changes of

market etc !  Compare the situation in the destination with other similar

destinations !  Analyse data collected and make the results accessible and

understandable to all people related to tourism industry (local government, tourism entrepreneurs, service providers, visitors, local citizens etc)

!  Listen carefully to the feedback of people related to tourism industry and take it into account when going for a new round of IQM.

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!  Quantitative indicators: !  Number of visitors by segments, target markets and target

groups; place of residence, age, sex, purpose of the trip (work, holiday, event etc), a group or individual tourist, family tourist etc; what kind of accommodation was used, for how long was stayed, what kind of transportation was used etc. !  What kind of expenditures and to what extent were done by

tourists (accommodation, catering, entertainment, transportation, shopping etc) !  Number of visitors at tourism information centres,

questions asked, complaints, suggestions etc

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!  Qualitative indicators: !  Do the facilities visited meet the expectations,

quality standards and how are they compared to other destinations (better, worse, why), do they possess quality labels and do they meet their standards? etc !  Visitor satisfaction trends (better, worse, the

same) !  Destination maintenance, cleanness, level of

noise, regulation of traffic etc !  Destination organizations’ efforts on training

their staff to offer better and more qualified service (to whom, what kind of trainings etc)

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!  Is done rarely although employees make up a large part of the quality sensed by visitors and their evaluation on it. An unhappy employee can probably not guarantee excellent service.

!  Measuring employees’ satisfaction must include: !  Measuring personal satisfaction and motivation !  Finding out training necessities !  The inclusion of employees in following the

quality plan

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!  Very important! A tourist perceives the quality of a destination in many ways based on the attitude of locals, their hospitality, helpfulness etc.

!  How does tourism affect the lives of local people, their living standards, employment etc?

!  What would you ask from the local people? !  Whom would you question? Why? !  Let’s take Pärnu for example: !  How do tourists affect the lives of local citizens? !  How do tourists affect the lives of people living in the beach

area? !  How do tourists affect the lives of people living in Raeküla?

Etc

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!  How to help tourists act responsibly? This is an important question in quality management.

!  Tourists might be extremely impolite (be loud, break things, throw garbage on the street, harm nature, make fire where it’s forbidden etc)

!  All this might influence the way other tourists perceive quality

!  What would you do to help tourists and teach them in a positive way? What kind of activities would you add to the destination quality management plan?

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!  One of the objectives of implementing IQM is finding possibilities to enhance financial outcomes from tourism.

!  Tourism creates jobs and almost all other economic fields benefit from it (construction, agriculture, manufacturing (furniture, tableware, textile etc), bakers, retail selling etc. !  It is typical to consider the influence of tourism on local

economy only by how much it benefits to the local government’s budget (tourism workers’ salary taxes). This approach is wrong. !  How should and could the real profit from tourism be

measured? (also as creating indirect and seasonal work places, profit to connecting business fields etc)

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!  What kind of quality needs to be measured? !  Natural resources (drinking water, air, soil, usage

of nature, biological diversity etc) !  Cultural heritage, including buildings !  Local government expenditures on conservation !  Conservation related projects and their success !  Enterprises’ conservation politics and activities !  Raising enterpreneurs’ and locals’ awareness on

environment (trainings, prints etc)

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!  Tourism destination integrated quality management is based on self-evaluation, feedback and continuity with the aim of constant quality improvement.

!  In order to improve you need to know what needs improving and it can only be found out only by measuring

!  Indicators are needed for measurement and those indicators must enable us to receive both quantitative and qualitative feedback from visitors, employees and local citizens, usage of resources, environmental responsibility, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

!  Results from the measurement must carefully be analyzed, the roundups published, feedback and suggestions gathered and taken into account when going for a new round with IQM.

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1.  What kind of tourism activities and to what extent does the Cohesion Fund support?

2.  What are the principles of Estonian tourism politics? 3.  What are the objectives of Estonian National Tourism Action Plan

2007 – 2013? 4.  What kind of quality programmes are being used in Estonian

tourism? 5.  What does integrated quality management stand for? 6.  What does systematic approach to tourism destination mean? 7.  What kind of quality gaps are described by the quality gap model? 8.  What is EQFM and what are its key factors? 9.  What should the five most important stages of destination quality

management be? 10.  Who should be partners in destination quality management

system? 11.  What should be the objectives of destination quality management

system?

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12. How should developing human resources be reflected in destination quality management system?

13. What are quality activities? (public sector, communication and tourist concerning activities)

14. Who need to be contacted in order to put quality activities into practice? 15. How to make hospitality and concern visible? 16. What needs to be taken into account when improving the quality of

accommodation, catering and entertainment? 17. Why is it necessary to measure, evaluate and adapt quality? 18. What and how is measured? 19. How can satisfaction of local citizens be measured? 20. How are tourists taking part in creating quality? 21. How can quality’s economic effect on destination be measured? 22. Why is it important to measure and what is being measured concerning

environmental quality and sustainability?

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