The importance of standards in Tourism: the example of Slovenia

SIST, the Slovenian Standardization Institute, in support of the Regional Tourist Guides of Slovenia - ARGOS, hosted a dedicated roundtable to highlight the achievements and innovations in the tourism sector.

We are still in a time of revitalising the tourism industry. Many things have changed, new trends are emerging and adjustments are needed. The focus of the round table was on standards that can help the industry move forward faster and with better quality. The event engaged a broad range of players linked to the topic: Marjetka Strle Vidali, Director of SIST; Dubravka Kalin, Director General of the Tourism Directorate of Slovenia; Mateja Kregar Gliha, WFTGA accredited international trainer of tourist guides; Ivana Karanikić, owner of Prolingua Travel Agency from Croatia; WFTGA national trainer of tourist guides and international interpreter; Maša Klemenčič, representative of the Slovenian Tourist Board; Nace Koncilija, from Ljubljana Tourism; and Efi Kalampoukidou, President of European Federation of Guides' Associations (FEG), from Greece.

The participants at the round table shared information, experiences and opinions. In particular, they explored how the tourism sector responded to changes during the pandemic and what should the sector focus on to get tourism fully back on its feet. The common conclusion was one: standards. All participants agreed that standards are very important in tourism, as they determine the quality of service and help the industry to react more quickly to global changes.

For more information, please contact Dijana JEVTIC at SIST