What is the Q Brand?
Quality Management is currently a business strategy which has become vital to assure a hotel’s competitiveness. Quality Management Systems ensure a correct use of human resources, as well as helping to prevent mistakes from happening, whilst serving as a tool with which to discover and improve upon client’s satisfaction levels.
Hotels that function using a Quality Management System are awarded a Certificate which helps to distinguish that particular establishment, whilst characterising the hotel’s services as trustworthy and of a high standard.
The Q Certificate for Quality Tourism Practices, which is awarded by the Institute for Quality Tourism in Spain (ICTE), based on EU legislation 182001, assures that certain Service Requirements are carried out by establishing standards which must always be met when dealing with customers. The standards vary depending on the type of establishment and are a tool which helps manage the procedures that are carried out by businesses belonging to the tourism sector, in compliance with the requirements of the current Legislation, which are based upon the principles of a continued improvement and the achievement of customer’s Satisfaction.
This legislation establishes that is compulsory to act in accordance with all the laws that are currently applicable to the Tourism and accommodation sector.
THE HACCP SYSTEM
The HACCP system (“Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points”) is defined as: “a system which is scientific, rational and with a systematic and preventive focus, used to identify, evaluate and to control all risks that may appear during the production, processing, manufacture, storage, preparation and use of food products, to ensure the safety of such products for consumption”.
This system has been established, in accordance with current legislation relating to food safety:
• Regulation (EU) Nº 852 / 2004 relating to hygiene of food products.
• Decree 3484/2000 regarding safety measures for the preparation, distribution and commercialization of prepared meals.
One of the basic principles that the HACCP system is built upon is the analysis and identification of food hazards, the prevention, elimination and reduction of which is essential for the preparation of safe food products.
