Domestic Communication Pack 2012_old logo - Tourism Australia

T-QUAL AccreditationCommunication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20131

Using this Communication PackAs Tourism Australia continues to market the T-QUAL Accreditation brand, it increasingly becomesmore beneficial for accredited businesses to promote their T-QUAL endorsed status.To help raise this awareness and engagement, we ask T-QUAL endorsed operators to copy and re-usethe contents of this pack to disseminate T-QUAL Accreditation communications through their existingcommunication channels.ContentsWhat is T-QUAL Accreditation 3The benefits for businesses 3The benefits for consumers 3How T-QUAL Accreditation operates 4How to get on board 4Promote your T-QUAL endorsed status 4How can businesses leverage the marketing campaign? 5Accessing communication resources 6Key messages 7Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20132

What is T-QUAL Accreditation?T-QUAL Accreditation is the Australian Government’s quality framework for the tourism industry. Itassesses and supports quality assurance schemes and endorses their members with its nationalsymbol of quality, the T-QUAL Tick.The T-QUAL Tick improves the visibility of Australia’s quality tourism experiences and providesconsumers with a means of making more informed choices about products and services when holidayplanning.The benefits for businessesAn extensive marketing campaign aims to increase sales for T-QUAL endorsed products and servicesby encouraging consumers to: Look for the T-QUAL Tick when planning their Australian holidays, and Book T-QUAL endorsed products and services.T-QUAL endorsed business and operators also benefit from: Increased online exposure via preferential listing on state and national tourism websites, Federal endorsement that provides a boost to business credibility and a competitive point ofdifference.The benefits for consumersWhen booking products and services endorsed by the T-QUAL Tick, consumers can: Be confident that their expectations will be met; Trust consistently high standards will deliver quality experiences; Gain value for money at their chosen price point; Enjoy quicker and easier holiday planning; and Relax, knowing that they will be taken care of and any issues will be dealt with appropriately.How T-QUAL Accreditation operatesThe Tourism Quality Council of Australia (TQCA) is responsible for the overarching policy and direction ofT-QUAL Accreditation and for granting T-QUAL Master licences to quality assurance schemes.T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance schemes have been independently assessed to ensure that the criteria andstandards they apply reach the TQCA's national quality benchmark. They can extend T-QUAL AccreditationSub-licences to their members.T-QUAL endorsed businesses are members of T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance schemes. After signing aT-QUAL Accreditation Sub-licence, they can use the T-QUAL Tick in their marketing.Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20133

How T-QUAL Accreditation operates (cont’d)A cooperative partnership helps T-QUAL Accreditation elevate and standardise quality in theAustralian tourism industry: The Tourism Quality Council of Australia (TQCA) is responsible for the overarching policy anddirection of T-QUAL Accreditation, and for granting T-QUAL Master Licences to quality assuranceschemes The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) is responsible for policy, developmentand administration of T-QUAL Accreditation and for providing secretariat support to the TQCA. Tourism Australia (TA) is responsible for developing and implementing the T-QUAL Accreditationmarketing strategy.T-QUAL Accreditation is promoted in partnership with State and Territory Tourism Organisations(STOs) and quality assurance schemes.How to get on boardBusinesses cannot directly apply for T-QUAL Accreditation. Instead, they must join a T-QUAL endorsedquality assurance scheme which grants them T-QUAL Accreditation by default.When joining a T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance scheme, businesses are issued with a T-QUALAccreditation Sub-licence. Signing this allows businesses to display the T-QUAL Tick in their marketing(co-branded with the logo of their T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance scheme) and advertise theirquality assured tourism experience to consumers and industry buyers.View a list of T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance schemes.Promote your endorsed statusThe copy below can be used by endorsed businesses to update websites, brochures and marketingliterature to promote their endorsement, scheme and the T-QUAL Tick.The blue italicised text should be edited to personalise the copy.Copy for T-QUAL endorsed businessesBusiness name is endorsed by name of quality assurance scheme and Australia’s national symbolof tourism quality, the T-QUAL Tick.To achieve this endorsement, we have undergone rigorous assessment to ensure that you canexpect us to deliver reliable customer service, professionalism, accurate advertising andcompliance with health and safety standards.Rest assured that when choosing us, you will get the quality experience you deserve.Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20134

How can businesses leverage the marketing campaign?A step-by-step guide to maximising the benefits of T-QUAL Accreditation by leveragingTourism Australia’s consumer marketing campaign.Get accreditedJoin a T-QUAL accredited quality assurance scheme and gain T-QUAL Accreditation by default.Sign a T-QUAL Accreditation Sub-licenceWhen joining a T-QUAL accredited quality assurance scheme, you will be asked to agree to the termsand conditions of the T-QUAL Accreditation Sub-licence. This allows you to display the T-QUAL Tick inyour marketing (co-branded with the logo of your T-QUAL accredited quality assurance scheme) andadvertise your quality assured tourism experience to consumers and industry buyers.Let consumers know you are accreditedWithin four weeks of signing a Sub-licence, you will receive electronic versions of the T-QUAL Tick logoand a Welcome Pack full of T-QUAL marketing collateral.We encourage you to display the T-QUAL Tick where possible (at your business venue, on websites,online listings, brochures, newsletters and email signatures) and update brochures and websites with thefollowing suggested copy.Business name is endorsed by name of quality assurance scheme and Australia’s national symbolof tourism quality, the T-QUAL Tick.To achieve this endorsement, we have undergone rigorous assessment to ensure that you canexpect us to deliver reliable customer service, professionalism, accurate advertising andcompliance with health and safety standards.Rest assured that when choosing us, you will get the quality experience you deserve.Get listed with the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW)Get listed on the ATDW and benefit from preferential listing on national, and State and Territory tourismwebsites. This will improve the visibility of your product online, helping you stand out to consumers whoare holiday planning.Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20135

Accessing communication resourcesFact SheetThe T-QUAL Accreditation Fact Sheet provides useful information for industry wanting to learn about theframework.NewslettersEmail tqual@tourism.australia.com to receive T-QUAL’s top news stories for inclusion in yournewsletters.We are always looking for great content to include in our newsletter so if you have anything newsworthyabout your organisation or your operators, please feel free to send them through to us.WebcastsTourism Australia delivers webcasts every four months to update industry on the T-QUAL Accreditationmarketing campaign. Previous webcast presentations can be found on Tourism Australia’s corporatewebsite.PresentationsA two-slide overview and an in depth presentation on the T-QUAL Accreditation framework andmarketing campaign are available for industry use at events, meetings and workshops. Emailtqual@tourism.australia.com to request these resources.Media enquiriesMedia enquiries regarding T-QUAL Accreditation should be directed to Leo Seaton or Kim Moore atTourism Australia.LogosEmail tqual@tourism.australia.com for variations of the T-QUAL Tick logo and the Logo Guide.In 2012 the T-QUAL Tick logo became a registered trademark and as such, the logo has been updatedto reflect this. Please feel free to contact us for the latest logo suite.Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20136

Key messagesWhen sharing T-QUAL content, please take into consideration the framework’s key messages.INDUSTRYCONSUMERSReferencesT-QUAL Accreditation is a framework, not a program. When writing about the framework,please cite ‘T-QUAL Accreditation’ in the first instance, thereafter this reference can beshortened to ‘T-QUAL’.Name T-QUAL Accreditation T-QUAL TickCoremessageThe Australian Government’s quality benchmark for the tourism industry.Its logo, the T-QUAL Tick, identifies quality tourism businesses and operators.What is it?Why are wedoing it?How does itwork?A unifying framework that assesses,supports and endorses quality assuranceschemes and their members.To elevate and standardise quality toensure the sustainability of Australia’stourism industry.Businesses and operators must have metthe requirements of a T-QUAL endorsedquality assurance scheme to gain aT-QUAL Accreditation Sub-licence andincorporate the T-QUAL Tick in theirmarketing.An easily recognisable, national symbol ofquality that consumers can look for whenmaking travel/tourism bookings.To provide consumers with peace of mindthat their expectations will be met whentravelling within Australia.T-QUAL endorsed businesses and operatorsdisplay the T-QUAL Tick in their marketing.Consumers recognise this as a nationalsymbol of quality that they can trust whenplanning and booking their Australianholidays.Why is itdifferent?CriteriaT-QUAL Accreditation is a federal framework that assesses and endorses qualityaccreditation programs and corporate quality assurance standards within the Australiantourism industry.T-QUAL endorsed quality assurance schemes undergo a thorough assessment to ensuretheir standards reach the Tourism Quality Council of Australia’s national quality benchmarkin areas of:Customer service;Business practice;Presentation and provision of facilities;Policies and administration;Complaints handling procedures;Accurate advertising; andCommitment to continuous improvement.T-QUAL endorsed businesses and operators are members of these quality assuranceschemes and are assessed to ensure they meet quality criteria specific to the scheme theybelong to.Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20137

Communication Pack: Tourism BusinessesMay 20138