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2015

Tourism Accreditation Information Kit An introduction for Tasmanian Tourism Operators to the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program, delivered by Tourism Industry Council Tasmania.

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Contents

What is the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program? .................................................................. 3

Benefits of Accreditation ............................................................................................................... 5

How do you achieve Tourism Accreditation? .................................................................................. 7

Australian Tourism Accreditation Program Overview ...................................................................... 8

What else do I need to know? ........................................................................................................ 9

How long will it take to complete? ............................................................................................................ 9

Confidentiality .......................................................................................................................................... 10

Compliance .............................................................................................................................................. 10

Accreditation Reviews ............................................................................................................................. 11

Accreditation Fees ................................................................................................................................... 11

Contact us ................................................................................................................................. 14

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What is the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program?

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) is an Australia wide, online, quality

management program, which documents your businesses practices and procedures. The

‘tick’ logo for Tourism Accredited operators provides a credible, third party recommendation

of your tourism business.

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program is a business development scheme based on quality assurance

principles. Governed by ATAP Ltd, the program was developed by aligning six state and territory based

tourism accreditation programs (National Tourism Accreditation Program Western Australia, Tasmania,

South Australia, ACT; Australian Tourism Accreditation Program Northern Territory, and Better Business

Accreditation Program Victoria).

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program is open to all new and existing businesses that are involved in

a tourism activity.

In Tasmania, the Australian Tourism Accreditation program is delivered by Tourism

Industry Council Tasmania (TICT).

The Tasmanian tourism industry remains a leader in accreditation and standards, with the

highest rate and number of voluntarily Tourism Accredited businesses than any other state,

including around 1,000 tourism operators from all sectors and regions.

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program addresses many of the issues that are covered in the

development of a business plan but focuses on those key elements that are part of the day to day function

of any tourism operation.

This is achieved by the development of professional management systems that will lead to reliability,

consistency and predictability in the operation of your business which in turn results in improved customer

service and satisfaction.

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program encourages businesses to plan how their business will

function, and check that customer expectations are being met.

In turn, Tourism Accreditation will provide your clients and industry colleagues with an assurance that

participating businesses are committed to professionalism both in business operations and delivery of

customer service.

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The Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard is set nationally by ATAP Ltd.

The Standard defines the core business activities and good business practices required by a tourism

enterprise to successfully gain Tourism Accreditation. The Standard is a checklist of the features found to be

essential for a viable tourism business.

A business wishing to achieve Tourism Accreditation is formally assessed against the key elements of the

Standard. Those elements ensure an enterprise focuses on managing the operator’s obligations – for staff,

equipment, facilities, processes and overall performance – to meet or exceed customer expectations.

The Standard requires that tourism operators document and maintain:

Compliance with both business and industry specific regulations;

Adherence to industry sector standards and codes of practice;

Risk management procedures and training;

Business and marketing plans;

Human resources management procedures;

Customer service policy and procedures;

Environmental management policies and procedures;

General maintenance schedules and procedures.

Tourism Accreditation is seen by as a vital quality assurance and self-regulation tool for achieving sustainable

growth in our tourism industry, through:

Ensuring customer confidence;

Greater customer confidence and satisfaction leading to repeat visitations;

Stronger yield;

Building the capacity of tourism enterprises;

A competitive advantage for Tourism Accredited businesses over non-accredited operators;

A business which meets the requirements of the Standard, and gains Tourism Accreditation, signals to its

customers and to the wider industry that it is committed to providing high quality products, services and

experiences.

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General Benefits of Tourism Accreditation

For your Business

An improved reputation and higher degree of marketability in the market place

Greater customer confidence and satisfaction, which leads to repeat business

Improved training and communications

A competitive advantage over non-accredited operators

Access to incentives and discounts not available to non-accredited tourism businesses

Improved profitability through the implementation of better operating systems

Ability to display the nationally recognised Accredited Tourism Business logo at your point of business

and on all promotional and advertising material

Increased/improved confidence of wholesale and inbound operators

For your Customer

Signals a commitment to quality

Reliability of their chosen product and service

Consistency in the delivery of their experience

Certainty of the product and service they will experience

Satisfies safety and security needs

Provides a recognised national program through which to address any concerns

For your Industry

Provides travel retailers/wholesalers with an assurance of professional service

The Accredited Tourism Business tick logo is recognised as a symbol of quality within the Australian

tourism industry

Contributes to a more sustainable and competitive tourism industry for Australia

Demonstrates industry leadership and initiative

Promote your business with the tick of tourism quality!

Display the Tourism Accredited Business ‘tick’ logo on your marketing materials, websites

and business premises. Tell your customers and fellow industry members that they can trust the

tick, because you’re committed to tourism quality.

Benefit from the promotion of the Tourism Accredited Business ‘tick’ to visitors through

Discover Tasmania, the Tasmanian Visitor Information Network, the Australian Tourism Data

Warehouse, the Tasmania Travel Guides, and a number of other consumer websites and

publications.

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Access exclusive marketing opportunities

Apply for Tourism Directional Signage through the Department of State Growth

(Transport)

Enjoy preferred status for promotional opportunities generated by Tourism Tasmania’s

Visiting Journalist Program

Receive preferential brochure display at all ‘yellow i’ Tasmanian Visitor Information

Centres – plus discounted brochure display at many of these centres.

Achieve Rainbow Tasmania Tourism Accreditation – it’s free of charge with TICT – and

then use the Rainbow Tasmania logo to confidently market your business as LGBTI friendly.

Sign up to participate in cross-promotions with Tasmania Parks & Wildlife and use the

‘Share the Wonder’ logo (CVS licensed operators)

Become a UTAS Friendly operator and market directly to international students and their

visiting friends and relatives through the Let’s Explore Tasmania discount card program.

Use TICT’s free Customer Survey service to collect and collate valuable feedback and

endorsements for your business – and nominations for the prestigious People’s Choice Award.

Further details provided in the Tourism Accredited Operators Handbook 2015

Benefits for Tasmanian Tourism Accredited Businesses

Tourism Accredited Businesses are rewarded for their commitment to industry standards.

Each year, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania provides Tourism Accredited Businesses with the Tourism

Accredited Operators Handbook. The Handbook contains information on key industry contacts and

resources; how to stay up to date with the latest industry news and market trends; Tourism Awards

programs and industry events, and exclusive benefits and opportunities for Tasmanian Tourism Accredited

Businesses.

The Handbook also lists our preferred industry suppliers. These suppliers are committed to the Tasmanian

tourism industry and provide support and understanding to Tourism Accredited Operators. A number of

these suppliers offer exclusive discounts and special offers for Tourism Accredited Operators.

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How do you achieve Tourism Accreditation?

There are three major steps in the process of achieving Tourism Accreditation. Essentially, to achieve

Tourism Accreditation, you must provide evidence that your business has procedures in place to ensure the

services and products you offer services and products are consistent in quality, and meet or exceed the

expectations of your customers.

Step 1

a) Read through all the information in this kit. We also suggest that you visit the official ATAP site

(www.atap.net.au/industry) where you can watch a demonstration video of the online accreditation

process.

b) Complete the registration form and pay your registration fee through the TICT website

(http://www.tict.com.au/accreditation)

Step 2

c) When your registration form and payment have been processed, you will be issued with a unique

username and password to access the online program.

A checklist of criteria (also found on the following page) is provided in the online program, detailing each

section of the program and the documentation that needs to be submitted. Guidelines and examples are

available throughout the process to assist you.

At this point your Regional Accreditation Consultant (RAC) will be assigned to your business. Your RAC is

available to answer any questions and provide assistance with your accreditation application.

d) Complete the entire online application process and press the submit button at the end. This action

will forward your submission to your RAC for assessment.

e) Your RAC will conduct an assessment of your application and provide you with feedback regarding

your Tourism Accreditation application.

Step 3

f) When you have successfully completed your online assessment, your RAC will carry out a Site Visit.

The site visit is conducted to check for conformity with your documented standards and procedures.

g) When your Site Visit has been completed successfully, you will be sent official notification that you

have achieved Tourism Accreditation. You will also be issued with a certificate, your Tourism

Accredited Operators’ Handbook, and the Tourism Accreditation logo in electronic form and as a

window sticker.

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Australian Tourism Accreditation Program Overview

Criteria Assessed

The following table provides the criteria businesses are assessed against in the process of achieving

Tourism Accreditation. More detailed information and examples of requirements are provided online for

businesses to use, modify or replace with existing documentation.

Watch a demonstration video of the online accreditation process at www.atap.net.au/industry .

SECTION NAME

1 BUSINESS DETAILS

2 LICENCES AND PERMITS

3 INSURANCE DETAILS

4 BUSINESS PLAN BUILDER

5 MARKETING PLAN BUILDER

6 CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

7 BUSINESS OPERATING SYSTEMS

8 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

9 RISK MANAGEMENT

10 ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS

11 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

12 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY

13 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

14 CODE OF PRACTICE, FEES AND FINAL CHECKLIST

The value of documenting your procedures and plans

The accreditation process helps think about what the business is doing and how it might do things better.

Documenting a business plan for example will provide the opportunity to think about the business, the

market and competitors, which may bring some new insights which a business has not previously

considered.

For larger businesses it clarifies standards and areas of responsibility and avoids difficult situations where

expected standards are not met. In the situation where the person responsible for those tasks is not

available it allows everyone to understand what is required.

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“This was our first time with the Tourism Accreditation program and it has been well worth it - we got far more from it than expected. Having to prepare documents made us look critically at our business with almost immediate gains. For instance, we’d known for some time we had to increase our sales but procrastinated. By developing strategies and documenting them in our business plan it solidified our thoughts, made us act on them, and led to significantly increased sales. The program also has plenty of useful resources and one was really valuable in our case as it highlighted that our insurance did not in fact cover our needs – we fixed that very quickly! The TICT staff are really friendly and helpful. In particular, the infectious enthusiasm of our ‘go to’ person [Northern RAC, Karen Phillips] pulled me through all those cold winter nights of business and marketing plans, SWOTs and risk assessments. Overall it has been a very good experience and we have gained lots from the ‘hidden’ benefits.”

- Flemming Aaberg, owner/operator – Motton Terraces

What else do I need to know?

How long will it take to complete?

From registration, you have three months to complete your online application. If you are having any

problems doing this, please contact your Regional Accreditation Consultant (RAC) as soon as possible before

the deadline to discuss a possible extension.

The sooner you work through the program, the sooner your business will reap the rewards of accreditation.

The amount of time needed to complete documentation will depend largely on the nature, size and

preparedness of your business. You may already have some of the documentation in place – don’t reinvent

the wheel, upload existing material if you already have it.

Please refer to the Criteria assessed for a summary of the types of documentation required.

This is an opportunity for you to further develop your business and facilitate continuous business

improvement so treat the time spent as an investment in your future.

By involving employees in the process of achieving accreditation they will gain a greater

understanding of your business.

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Benefit from industry knowledge and networking

Get your free TICT Tourism Accredited Operators Handbook each year, full of useful and

up to date information, tips, and industry contacts.

Receive the fortnightly TICT industry e-newsletter, Snapshots, with the latest news, views

and opportunities for tourism operators.

Attend regular professional development events, workshops, training, information

sessions and consultation, industry networking events, and other opportunities – including the

Tasmanian Tourism Conference and Tasmanian Tourism Awards –discounted or held exclusively

for Tourism Accredited operators through TICT.

Further details provided in the Tourism Accredited Operators Handbook 2015

Confidentiality

All information and documentation supplied by your business will be treated as strictly confidential and will

be reviewed only as part of the Tourism Accreditation assessment process.

Please be assured that during the onsite verification, the RAC will have NO interest in the financial records,

profit and loss accounts of your business. The RAC will be looking for compliance with the policies and

procedures your business has documented against the standards of the program. Essentially we will be

checking your systems to ensure that you are doing what you told us in the documentation submitted.

Compliance

Tourism Accredited businesses have made an ethical and professional commitment to maintain a level of

standard, conduct and performance in line with the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program. Businesses

that do not abide by these conditions may have their accreditation status revoked. The Australian Tourism

Accreditation Program (TAS) Sub-Committee of the TICT Board, on recommendation from the Program

Manager, has the authority to make this decision.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania conducts Site Visits every three years, and has a customer survey and

mystery shop program in place as part of the process of monitoring the standards of Tourism Accredited

businesses. Tourism Accredited businesses are required to respond to customer complaints, mystery shop

reports or any non-compliance identified in-line with their documented procedures.

If, during the course of a Site Visit, non-compliance with Tourism Accreditation requirements is identified, or

if a business fails to respond to a customer complaint, a Quality Improvement Request (QIR) will be raised

against a business.

Removal of Accreditation

If a QIR is not responded to adequately, or if there is sufficient evidence that a Tourism Accredited business

is not meeting and maintaining the requirements set out in the program, this may result in a business losing

their Tourism Accreditation status. Where a serious breach of standards is found to have occurred, this will

be referred to the Sub-Committee of the TICT board, who may recommend withdrawal from the Australian

Tourism Accreditation Program.

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Accreditation Reviews

Each year, Tourism Accredited businesses are required to complete an online review of ATAP sections 1-5.

This doesn’t take long, helps you keep your business documents up to date, and allows your RAC to verify

that you are maintaining your licenses, insurances, and commitment to continuous improvement and

quality.

Full Tourism Accreditation reviews are conducted every three years and will require you to re-submit your

whole online accreditation application (ATAP sections 1-14), reflecting any changes that may have occurred

in the business. The review process encourages continuous monitoring of your services which helps keeps

you up to date. It is recommended that you keep your username and password handy to access your

application at any time and update for this purpose. The three yearly reviews also include a Site Visit.

Annual Accreditation Fees

The Tourism Accreditation (registration and annual) fee is based on the number of full time equivalent (FTE)

staff employed by your business (one full time equivalent staff member can also equal four casual or two

part-time employees – your RAC can assist you in making these calculations). Once the initial registration fee

has been received you will gain access to the online program, plus the support of a Regional Accreditation

Consultant to assist you with the process.

After the accreditation process has been completed an annual fee will not be charged until 31st December

for the following calendar year. Renewals are sent out in early December and must be paid by 31st

December to keep Tourism Accreditation status current. You will also be required to update your business

details at this time.

New registrations received from 1 January each year will be charged the annual cost to cover registration

and subsequent Accreditation through to 31 December.

Business Size Registration and Annual Fee

1 – 3 Full Time Equivalent Employees $249 (incl GST)

4 – 8 FTEs $449

9 – 15 FTEs $489

16-25 FTEs $849

26 – 50 FTEs $999

51 – 100 FTEs $1,450

101 + $1,850

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Support your business development

Evaluate, improve and promote your sustainable and responsible tourism credentials,

with one year’s free access to the internationally recognised EarthCheck system.

Achieve and maintain important Passenger Transport Operator accreditation with

TICT-organised, heavily discounted PTOA audits.

Keep a Commercial Visitor Services License to operate in Tasmania’s parks and

reserves, using Tourism Accreditation with TICT to meet the conditions of your contract.

Apply for tourism-associate membership of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association to

gain access to industrial relations advice, further corporate partnership discounts and more.

Use your Tourism Accreditation as powerful evidence of your tourism quality and sound

business practices, and seek additional written support from TICT, when writing grant

applications, award submissions and more.

Further details provided in the Tourism Accredited Operators Handbook 2015

“We’ve been accredited for a number of years now and I find it a valuable quality control tool for our business. Not only does it help us keep tabs on how we’re doing across all areas, it also gives us and every other accredited tourism business a high level of legitimacy in the eyes of potential customers - it’s a tick that says an independent auditor has taken a close look at this business and it’s passed with flying colours. On top of this, we easily recoup our annual fee by taking advantage of the offers available, such as the opportunity to have free PTOA audits, discounted brochure advertising opportunities at Visitor Information Centres and discounts on printing, insurance and banking services. At the end of the day, the accreditation tick is the industry standard of quality and benefits us all by ensuring that visitors to our state leave with positive experiences to pass on to their friends and family. At Jump Tours we believe it’s very important for all quality tourism operators to get behind the tick to ensure that as an industry we maintain high standards and keep ahead of rival destinations interstate and overseas.”

- Greg Price, owner/operator – Jump Tours

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Save on goods and services from preferred tourism industry suppliers Exclusive discounts and special offers for Tasmanian Tourism Accredited businesses

Spirit of Tasmania: up to 50% off passenger fares on selected sailings

Steadfast Taswide Insurance Brokers: 25% discount on your annual Tourism Accreditation fee when you engage Steadfast Taswide Insurance Brokers

Mercury Walch: 10% discount

Commonwealth Bank: Free Business Financial Health Checks and special rates on merchant services

Cooper Automotive: 15% discount on labour charges

Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre: $82.50 off brochure display, plus access to advertising opportunities only available to Tourism Accredited businesses

Tasmania Travel Guides: 25% discount on additional listings

Beautiful Accommodation: 3-month free listing trial and 20% advertising discount for approved businesses

Innkeepers Tasmania: Free consultation and distribution assessment

Moretas4less: 10% discount on advertising

Tourism eSchool: 20% discount on your first eCourse

St John Ambulance: 10% discount

Coaching People Australia: Free one-hour introduction or 10% discount on team coaching

SiteMinder: Extended 4-week booking system trial

Tempus Innovative Solutions: 20% discount on new, mobile ready websites with integrated booking system

Crowe Horwath: a waiver on your personal simple tax return fee when you join as a business client

Lavender House THE PERFUMERY: discounted wholesale purchases

Bistec Tasmania: discounted pricing on Kyocera, IdealPos and Unibind products

BUPA Australia: 6 weeks free when you take out both hospital and extras cover

John Batman Group: 10% discount on compendiums

Further details provided in the Tourism Accredited Operators Handbook 2015

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Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program.

More information and the registration form are available on our website.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania

office if you have any questions.

We look forward to your business becoming part of the program.

Telephone: (03) 6231 2244

Email: info@tict.com.au

Website: www.tict.com.au/accreditation