The price of inspections set to rise?

Clive Taylor

The new accommodation inspection process will come on line for accommodation providers in early 2006 and whilst it may prove to be a better (?) more harmonised scheme it will come with a cost. Figures of up to £1000.00 per hotel for an inspection are being mentioned and whilst this may be for larger units I expect there will be increased costs for the smaller operator.

The Quality Assurance Group which comprises of VisitBritain, VisitScotland, the Welsh Tourist Board and the AA and will determine their own individual charging structure which could prove interesting for everybody especially for those with no 'national' country boundaries to contain them.

So all the national government promotional initiatives like websites (Visitbritain) and guidebooks (Where to Stay) will only feature 'inspected accommodation' and it will not be too long afterwards that more local to you agencies also only list recognised providers.

Since the Regional Development Agencies took over the role of 'tourism strategists' there have been many changes to the 'regional' tourism delivery structure. Tourists Boards in some areas have disappeared, in other areas they have stayed with the same title, in others they have changed their name and their roles within the industry in their area.

You will have seen the articles on this website on 'Fit for Purpose' a 'new' national government initiative to raise the quality of accommodation offered within the UK. As a further driver to the aim of improving quality any government body or indeed any body which receives government funding to promote tourism will only promote inspected accommodation.

The new initiative for a UK wide standard of classification for all types of accommodation providers will bring into being a fully harmonised scheme with I believe a star rating for everything. This has meant the scrapping of the old inspection process and a new one being organised. This is happening now. The contract with Unicorn Tourism Ltd which did provide the inspection process will be terminated in April 2005. The hotel/accommodation inspectors I suspect will move en block to the new provider GSL Ltd. Who are GSL? Well if you are keen to look click on the link otherwise I can tell you that they are a private company who through the wonders of electronic technology are involved in the process of 'formal inspecion' for not only hotels and accommodation providers but also Ofsted (the schools inspectorate) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the Inland Revenue plus others and that they used to be called Group 4 Securities.

What do they know about the inspection process? Well very little I suspect, but then do they need to? Let me explain. GSL have taken over the remit for hotel inspection because they have a proven technology capability. The government is keen to use technology where and when ever it can and here is a case in point.

GSL can deliver, or so they say, a seamless transition to the new inspection process via technology and by taking over the existing inspectorate workforce. Inspector's reports will be delivered and processed online and the information will be stored digitally. It will be retrieved when required via a website and all processes will be electronic.

So what price are you prepared to pay for promotion and marketing through a national agency? Now is a good time to start thinking about this and other related issues. Where do most of your customers come from? If the price of your inspection rises will you still want (need?) to stay on board. Will there be a cheaper, more cost effective alternative?

To answer these and a host of other questions that this issue raises you need to perform a marketing audit. Start in the download area with the Media Schedule and start your audit now so you know where to spend more of your marketing money when the QAG question is asked.

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