Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza. Calidad Turistica

Tourist Quality

ZARAGOZA, FIRST SPANISH CITY TO ACHIEVE THE Q MARK FOR QUALITY. THE TOURIST OFFICE AND ZARAGOZA CONVENTION BUREAU CERTIFIED WITH THE Q MARK FOR QUALITY

Framed within the strategy of the Secretariat of State for Trade and Tourism to improve the quality of the Spanish Tourist Sector, in the year 2000, Zaragoza was elected as a pilot city, together with another eight Spanish tourist destinations, to implement and develop the project for the Design of a Tourist Destination Quality Management Model, included within the PICTE (Integrated Spanish Tourist Quality Plan) and whose ultimate aim is to implement a quality system for the municipal tourist services: Conference Centres, Convention Bureaus and Information Offices, which would be seen to be endorsed by obtaining the Q mark for Quality, thus guaranteeing quality standards in the services provided.

The Project.

The project financing, recruitment of technical assistance and coordination with the destination, as well as the start-up, was the responsibility of the General Secretariat for Tourism and the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces). This is an integrated plan whose basic principle is Quality and whose main instrument is institutional cooperation.

The Objective

The objective of Zaragoza Convention Bureau and the Tourist Office was to obtain the Q mark for quality certification. To this end, from the moment Zaragoza was chosen as the pilot city, different actions were carried out with the advice of the company, Consultur.

Actions carried out

Participation in writing a draft Quality Standard for Spanish Convention Bureaus and Tourist Offices of the Spanish Institute for Tourist Quality (ICTE).
Participation in consensus meetings and definite approval of the draft Quality Standard.
Self-assessment based on the Quality Standard established
Improvement Plan in agreement with the results of the self-assessment.
Training plan both of for technicians from Zaragoza Convention Bureau and Tourist Office, as well as for agents involved in the project: Companies from the sector.
Preparation and writing of the draft Quality Manual and Procedures Manual.
Definite drafting of Quality Manual and Procedures Manual
System implementation.
Start-up of the following tools:
- Survey system with clients and member suppliers
- Complaints and suggestions system
- Incident sheets
- Self-assessments
- Indicator system
- Improvement planning

Obtaining the Q

Both the Office of Zaragoza Turismo and Zaragoza Convention Bureau passed audit took place on 12 November 2002, and after the meeting of the Quality Committee of the ICTE, which took place on 19 December, Zaragoza Convention Bureau and the Tourist Office to obtain the Q-Quality certification.

The Q mark for quality

Obtaining the Certification with the Q mark for tourist quality of the city of Zaragoza, Spanish groundbreaking destination in the application of the quality concept in the tourist market, will undoubtedly have an impact on improving its position in the market. This will help us reap greater and better benefits for the city..

AMonitoring and Renewal Audits

After obtaining the Q mark for Quality in December 2002, the Municipal Tourist Offices and the Convention Bureau have continued to develop the system, carrying out yearly monitoring following the certification audits, in agreement with that foreseen in the Certification Regulation.

The last renewal audit was carried out from 28 to30th april 2020, when both the system and the quality standards were analysed, verifying that they continue to be in agreement with the requirements of the standard UNE EN ISO 9001:2008 for Management and Quality Systems, quality standard UNE 187005:209 for Convention Bureaus and quality standard UNE 187003:2008 for Tourist Provision Requirements.