Standardisation is the process of developing, disseminating and applying technical standards, which are the result of consensus and aim to optimise benefits for companies.
Standardisation is of enormous importance to the country's various economic sectors, both from the perspective of the internal market - which includes the normative activity carried out by European standardisation structures - and in the global context - which includes the normative activity carried out by international standardisation structures.
Instituto Português da Qualidade - IPQ (Portuguese Institute for Quality) is the National Standardisation Body (ONN) and coordinator of the Portuguese Quality System (SPQ). As such, it recognised Turismo de Portugal as a Sectoral Standardisation Body (ONS) in the field of tourism services. As part of the Portuguese Quality System, the Technical Commission for Standardisation in Tourism - CT 144 - was set up to define the quality benchmarks for tourism activities in the field of services.
The
CT 144 - Tourist Services has two strands:
_ Reproduces the existing working groups (WG) under TC 228 - Tourism and Related Services of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
_ Promotes the development of national standards and the reflection on a range of important issues for tourism, in Portugal.
It is currently a member of several thematic subcommittees, some of which exclusively monitor work at international level within the framework of the aforementioned ISO/CT 228.
To date, CT 144 has drawn up the following Portuguese Standards, which have been published by the IPQ:
_ NP 4494:2010 – Manor Houses and Character houses Tourism and Tourism in Rural Areas
_ NP 4507:2012 - Nature tourism enterprises
_ NP 4520:2013 - Outdoor Tourism | Nature Tourism Activities
_ NP 4556:2017 - Industrial tourism
_ NP 4523:2018 - Accessible Tourism | Hotel Establishments (1st edition 2014)
_ DNP CWA 5643-1:2021 - Requirements and guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the tourism industry (ISO/PAS 5643:2021)
_ DNP CWA 5643-2:2021 - Requirements and guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the tourism industry - European visual identity
_ NP ISO 21902:2022 - Tourism and related services - Accessible tourism for all - Requirements and recommendations
_ NP ISO 21426:2022 - Thermal establishments - Service requirements
The Technical Commission CT 144 - Tourism Services, received the 2014 Standardisation Award, implemented by Instituto Portuguès da Qualidade (IPQ). The aim of this award is to annually recognise the Technical Committee (TC) that stands out for its special contribution to the development and promotion of Portuguese Standardisation, associated with an example of Good Practice and highlighting compliance with the Rules and Procedures of Portuguese Standardisation. The Technical Commission 144 includes all the sector's business associations, leading technicians, and experts, as well as most of the public bodies with responsibilities in the tourism sector.
Turismo de Portugal regularly participates in the Plenary Assembly of the Technical Committee of the International Organisation for Standardization, TC 228/ISO - Tourism and related services, as well as in the respective working group meetings. In this context, Turismo de Portugal is following various lines of work, the topics of which are.
_ Accessible Tourism
_ Accommodation
_ Adventure Tourism
_ Sustainable Tourism
The accreditation activity is under the responsibility of Instituto Português de Acreditação - IPAC (Portuguese Accreditation Institute) and consists of assessing and recognising the technical competence of entities to carry out specific conformity assessment activities. IPAC identifies accredited organisations for possible certification according to the standards in question.
