UNIT 1: THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. ASSIGNMENT 2: CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND THEIR STANDARDS :HEKMA SHEMSEDIN. TASK 1: (P2)EXPLAIN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS AND STANDARDS USED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. • what are classification systems? Classification usually refers to the system by which particular tourist facilities or services are categorised according to certain criteria. • Why are they used, who might use them and why? To provide tourists or anyone else who wants to visit an accommodation with an indication of the standard of quality or service which they might reasonably expect and, implicitly, if they have a budget they would wants to see the likely price they will have to pay. It is also a means of maintaining or raising standards across sectors of the industry. WHAT TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS ARE THERE? • Michelin star: Michelin gives out up to three stars, with only the world’s greatest dining establishments attaining that coveted third star. one Michelin star represents a “very good restaurant in its category,” two stars denotes a restaurant boasting “excellent cooking” that is “worth a detour.” Three stars, however, is the ultimate accolade, afforded only to those restaurants that offer “exceptional cuisine” that is “worth a special journey.” Understandably, there’s a lot of grey areas within those rating descriptions, and the process of receiving stars is meticulous and painstaking, typically taking several years. When a reviewer visits a restaurant for the first time, neither the restaurant’s owner nor chef will have any idea it even happened. If the reviewer loves the place, then another mystery visit will be paid the following year. Assuming the second visit goes as well as the first — preferably better — it’s at this point the reviewer may recommend the restaurant receive its first Michelin star. AA. • They introduced a star rating system to classify hotels in 1912, and in 2006 they developed Common Quality Standards(alongside the main tourist boards) for inspecting and rating accommodation. These standards and rating categories are now applied throughout the British Isles. • Hotels, guest accommodation, self-catering and serviced accommodation are given star ratings, while caravan, camping and glamping sites are given pennant ratings. Out of the many thousands of restaurants in the UK, they identify over 2,000 as the best by awarding them Rosettes for culinary excellence. The Rosette is an award rather than a classification, and they are awarded annually on a rising scale of one to five. STAR RATINGS: Star ratings, from 1 to 5, show the standard of quality for hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering. PENNANTS RATINGS: Caravan parks and campsites are inspected and rated from one to five black pennants. This is an assessment of the quality and variety of facilities a park offers – including customer care and hospitality, toilet facilities and park landscaping – based on the inspector’s experienced opinion. The percentage score runs from 50% to 100%, and indicates the relative quality of parks with the same pennant rating. The top level is classified as a Five Pennant Premier Park. There are also separate categories for holiday centres and glamping sites. The AA pennant rating is only based on the touring pitches and the facilities at campsites and caravan parks. AA inspectors do not visit or report on rented static caravans or chalets. ROSETTE AWARD: AA guides also contain a rosette rating similar to that of the star rating, this however referees to the quality of restaurants and eating establishments as opposed to that of the accommodation. TOURIST BOARD. • TRA is periodically undertaking national classification of all regulated tourism activities and services with the aim of ensuring high standards and quality of services. The classification exercises will be overseen by a Standardization and Classification Committee comprising members from both the public and private sectors. This is based on approved criteria for each category of establishments. Currently, TRA has is in the process of rolling out a National Classification exercise for Hotels and Restaurants. TASK 2: (M2)ANALYSE THE USE OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS. • How do customers use the Michelin star? I touched on this when explaining about Michelin star. REFERENCE: • https://prezi.com/k-ykwnufarwo/the-classifications-and-standards-in-the-hospitality-industry/ • https://www.foodnetwork.ca/dining-out/blog/what-it-takes-to-become-a-1-2-or-3-michelin-starrestaurant/ • https://www.theaa.com/hotel-services/ratings-and-awards • https://www.tourismauthority.go.ke/index.php/component/k2/item/141-standardization-andclassification