the joint wto & ih&ra; study on hotel classification - Hotel Designs

IND.D.004.16 April 2004In April 2002, <strong>the</strong>se two questionnaires (see annex) were devised by WTO with inputfrom IH&RA. WTO <strong>the</strong>n circulated <strong>the</strong> public sector questionnaire to all its Memberswhile IH&RA circulated <strong>the</strong> private sector questionnaire to its National Associationmembers as well as to non-Member associations. Hasteners were sent out in <strong>the</strong>following months and additional information sought from respondents where this wasconsidered necessary or particularly interesting, especially regarding new or evolvingschemes.At <strong>the</strong> same time <strong>the</strong> WTO undertook <strong>the</strong> same process at its end. Given <strong>the</strong> difficulty inobtaining replies from some key Member States or Associations, compilation wasdeferred in order to achieve as broad a cove<strong>ra</strong>ge as possible. This was undertaken byIH&RA in 2002-2003, with preliminary results of both questionnaires consolidated by late2002 and a first d<strong>ra</strong>ft report submitted to WTO in April 2003. Late replies continued to bereceived after this date up to January 2004 have been incorpo<strong>ra</strong>ted into <strong>the</strong> finalanalysis.The following chapter gives <strong>the</strong> consolidated replies to <strong>the</strong> IH&RA questionnaire followedby those of <strong>the</strong> WTO questionnaire and finally a compa<strong>ra</strong>tive analysis of findings of bothsurveys. Given below is <strong>the</strong> explanatory note to <strong>the</strong> IH&RA questionnaire sent toNational Hotel Associations, as well as <strong>the</strong> slightly different note accompanying <strong>the</strong> WTOquestionnaire sent to National Tourism Administ<strong>ra</strong>tions.Explanatory note to IH&RA questionnairePurpose:Object:Definitions:The findings of this survey will contribute to <strong>the</strong> “<strong>joint</strong> IH&RA and WTO <strong>study</strong> on hotelclassification” which follows on <strong>the</strong> recommendation of <strong>the</strong> WTO Quality SupportCommittee, <strong>the</strong> WTO work prog<strong>ra</strong>mme for 2002-2003 and <strong>the</strong> Memo<strong>ra</strong>ndum ofUnderstanding between <strong>the</strong> International Hotel & Restau<strong>ra</strong>nt Association (IH&RA) and <strong>the</strong>WTO Secretariat. 1The scope of <strong>the</strong> survey is limited to hotels and similar establishments 2 (e.g., apartmenthotels, motels, inns, etc. 3 ) irrespective of <strong>the</strong>ir location (urban, ru<strong>ra</strong>l, coastal, etc.). O<strong>the</strong>rtypes of accommodation facilities, irrespective of <strong>the</strong>ir denotation and regionalinterpretation (e.g., holiday centres, holiday homes, youth hostels, holiday camps, campingand ca<strong>ra</strong>vanning sites, time-share, etc.), are excluded from <strong>the</strong> survey.For <strong>the</strong> purpose of <strong>the</strong> survey, <strong>the</strong> term “classification of accommodationestablishments” denotes a system, duly published, in which accommodationestablishments of <strong>the</strong> same type (e.g., hotels, motels, inns, etc.) have been conventionallybroken down into classes, categories or g<strong>ra</strong>des according to <strong>the</strong>ir common physical andservice cha<strong>ra</strong>cteristics and established at government, industry or o<strong>the</strong>r private levels.1 WTO and IH&RA have agreed to undertake <strong>joint</strong>ly a <strong>study</strong> on hotel classification to include a status report onexisting hotel classification schemes and a compa<strong>ra</strong>tive analysis and interpretation of such schemes and <strong>the</strong>irfunctions.2 Such establishments provide services entered as number 63110.0 in <strong>the</strong> Cent<strong>ra</strong>l Product Classification(CPS) and coincide with “tourism cha<strong>ra</strong>cteristic activities” in <strong>the</strong> Tourism Satellite Account:Recommended Methodological F<strong>ra</strong>mework.3 These terms are subject to debate and regional interpretation. At <strong>the</strong> European level, standardized terminology hasbeen adopted to this effect by CEN (European Committee for Standardisation).- 9 -