Choose Standards for the Service You Provide
A hotel, restaurant and adventure-tour operator need different controls and evidence. Define the operation, country and customer requirements before choosing standards. Keep management-system certification separate from legal duties, site inspections, staff competence and guest-facing claims.
🏨 Hotel Quality
ISO 22483 sets hotel-service requirements and recommendations across classifications and categories. It is not a hotel star-rating scheme.
🍽️ Food Safety
ISO 22000 is a food-safety management-system standard. It supports hazard control but does not replace hygiene law or competent-authority oversight.
🌿 Sustainable Tourism
ISO 21401 addresses environmental, social and economic management in accommodation. Support sustainability claims with relevant, measurable evidence.
Essential Standards for Hospitality
Use these documents where their scope matches the activity; they are not a compulsory package for every tourism business:
| Standard | Title / Scope | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 22483 | Hotel-service requirements and recommendations | Hotels across classifications and categories. |
| ISO 22000 | Food-safety management systems | Food-chain organisations, including catering and restaurants. |
| ISO 21401 | Sustainability management for accommodation | Environmental, social and economic aspects within scope. |
| ISO 21101 | Adventure-tourism safety management | Management-system requirements for adventure-activity providers. |
| EN 15565 | Training and qualification programmes for tourist guides | Programme requirements; check national professional rules. |
| ISO 21902 | Accessible tourism for all | Requirements and recommendations across the tourism chain. |
Evidence for Operational and Guest Claims
Choose a standard to address a defined operational need, then assess implementation and results.
- Accurate claims: State the standard, certified scope and certification body where relevant. Do not imply a star rating, regulatory approval or a guarantee for every guest.
- Food safety: Maintain effective hazard controls and verify them in daily operations. ISO 22000 certification does not remove the operator's legal responsibilities or eliminate outbreak risk.
- Sustainability: Define objectives and measure relevant performance. ISO 21401 does not guarantee reduced bills, more bookings or eligibility for a particular environmental label.
- Adventure activities: Combine an appropriate management system with activity-specific competence, equipment, emergency arrangements and applicable local rules.
📥 Access Official Hospitality Standards
Search the Genorma catalogue for relevant EN and ISO documents. Confirm the edition, scope and licensing terms before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISO 22483 for hotels?
ISO 22483 contains quality requirements and recommendations for hotels, including staff, services, safety, maintenance and guest satisfaction. It applies regardless of hotel category. Conformity does not itself assign a star classification or replace local hotel, building, fire-safety or other operating requirements.
Is ISO 22000 different from HACCP?
HACCP concerns hazard analysis and critical control points, including control, monitoring, verification and records. ISO 22000 combines HACCP principles with prerequisite programmes, communication and management-system requirements. ISO 22000 certification is voluntary; EU catering and food businesses must separately meet applicable hygiene duties, including HACCP-based procedures under Regulation (EC) 852/2004 where applicable.
Are there standards for accessible tourism?
Yes. ISO 21902 contains requirements and recommendations for accessible tourism across the service chain. Use it to assess information, booking, facilities and service delivery for different access needs. It does not by itself establish compliance with every national accessibility rule or guarantee that every service is suitable for every person.
Scope and Official Sources
Check the linked source and current document before commissioning work:
- ISO 22483 hotel-service scope
- ISO 22000 scope and voluntary certification
- European Commission: food-hygiene legislation
- ISO 21401 sustainability-management scope
- ISO 21902 accessible-tourism scope
For a defined quality, food-safety or sustainability management-system project, request ISO support. For food, water or material testing, describe the required laboratory work and include the sample, country and method if known.
Explore Standards for Other Industries
Navigate to other key sectors to find relevant European and International standards.