The Swiss may traditionally praise themselves on paying particular attention to quality. Even today, many products carry a good name on this aspect. The origins of the modern break out regarding quality must be sought in the U.S.A. where during the ‘50’s scientists (among whom W.E. Deming and J.M. Juran ) started an in-depth study of the issue. Yet the Japanese were the first ones to put the idea of quality into practice.

Quality management was applied in American industry only in the ‘80’s.The main reason was that there was a dominant need for good results at the time. Meanwhile, Quality Management entered the industry sector and it is applied worldwide today. Research showed that business who apply active quality management are more successful compared to their competitors. Many organizations award different prizes annually to the businesses that show a high quality level.

In recent years, the essence of quality management has changed. The material and technical quality of the products was in focus in the past. Lately though, more “delicate” factors, such as the willingness to offer services, skills and abilities, and reliability were considered of major importance. In the field of tourism these abstract elements affect quality in a crucial way. Most of the times, the tourist services offered are the direct result of the contact between the client and the service provider. It is not just the outcome where quality plays important role, but also the way according which the work is performed. This is the reason why a client will have a bad impression of a restaurant, for instance, if the food is excellent while the service is poor.

Quality must not be misinterpreted as luxury. Quality should be there whether a business of three, four, or even five stars.

Quality means…

…doing the ordinary in an exceptional way.

…doing what you have to do with all your heart.

…that the customer comes back again.

…that the services provided match the needs of the groups to be hosted.

…that the services offered function according to the clients demands.

Finally the guests’ expectations seem crucial for the quality of the service offered. The actual needs of the guests themselves continually change and it gets more and more difficult to define the new trends, which are expressed through the common preferences of different groups. It is very important for the management to know the preferences of the major target groups in order to prepare suitable quality services for them.
The idea that the partners and the related organizations also contribute in quality, the public demand and natural environment as well as the company’s own mentality on this, are also important quality factors.