Hotel Service Industry Standards: Methodological and Practical Aspects

Abstract

The standard is an extremely valuable tool for the long-term competitive development of industries worldwide. The purpose of the presented study is to analyze the regulatory standards in the field of hotel services in Georgia and determine their impact on the quality of hotel services.

The paper examines the basic and supporting ISO standards, regulatory documents and operating principles widely recognized in the world regarding hotel services, as well as corporate standards of leading international hotel chains.

Based on a comparative analysis of regulatory standards in the global and Georgian hotel service industries, the paper determines the compliance of the Georgian hotel industry with international practices. Based on the analysis, the following problems in this industry are identified:

• As of now, Georgian legislation lacks a mandatory national industry standard for hotel services;
• Working in accordance with the requirements of the internationally recognized rating system is purely voluntary.

This situation leads to dissatisfaction of a modern experienced consumer who has the opportunity to compare with other services; excessive positioning by the hotel causes dissatisfaction and this attitude extends to the general perception of the destination, which damages the tourism image of the country.

Accordingly, the topic of the paper and the identified problems are of interest to stakeholders interested in the development of the sector in Georgia. The recommendations issued on the basis of the study can be used to identify effective ways for addressing the identified problems.