New national standard creates common vocabulary for accommodation in the tourism industry

Source: jcomp via Freepik

According to the Department of Tourism, tourism contributes 3.7% to the South African GDP, employing more than 1 million people and is a sector that is growing. In 2019, before the Covid 19 pandemic, the global tourism sector was estimated at $8.9t.

SANS 18513 has been adopted from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and provides the definitions to create a common understanding of the various accommodation types and facilities. "

"The tourism sector evolves regularly as new experiences and types of facilities emerge and there must be a globally accepted and used common vocabulary.

"A common set of terms, especially identifying types of accommodation and the facilities will improve the tourist experience as consumers can adequately find the right accommodation to meet their needs and allow service providers to correctly advertised their offerings," explains Sadhvir Bissoon, acting CEO of the SABS.

The national standard includes definitions for half board, suites, junior suites, early check-in, mini-bar service, accessible rooms, air conditioning, gyms and a range of other commonly found amenities that applies to the tourism sector. SANS 18513 can be purchased from the SABS webstore.