Facing the absence of international hospitality's security standard, Onyx ICS worked out an independent standard and developed a certification programme following the recommendations of the ISO 17067 standard.
LONDON – International security threats and national crisis lead a growing feeling of insecurity among western customers of hotels in Africa and the Middle East. The strengthening of legislations and the multiplication of the jurisprudences relative to the obligation made for the international companies to assure the security and safety of their business travellers, drive to improved travel policies. Facing the absence of international hospitality’s security standard, Onyx ICS worked out an independent standard and developed a certification programme following the recommendations of the ISO 17067 standard.
Two essential objectives – On one hand, the certification programme allows the hotels to put forward their commitment for the security of their customers and so to differ from their peers. On the other hand, it allows travellers and customers (business travellers, international companies, tourists, tour operators and travel agencies) to choose, thanks to this label, from among a directory of hotels setting up solid and effective security.
A standard and an inspection – The InSCeHo certification programme is composed of a standard, grouping of technical and organizational criteria constituting a consistent security environment. The standard places the customer in the central point and adapts, at the same time, to the specificities of both business and leisure hospitality. Compliance with the standard is evaluated by an inspection of the hotel. The label is renewed each year after new inspection.
For all the hotels – The programme is directed to all types of hotels, independent and chain, business and leisure, economic and palaces, in Africa and the Middle East.
For all customers of the hotels – The programme puts to the scope of individual travellers as well as international companies, an objective and transparent tool for managing their security.
According to a strategy of progressive development aiming at cities at strong density of hotel offer, our ambition is to reach the threshold of 150 hotels certified to the end of 2018.
At the present stage, the certification programme is accessible to hotels who wish to become candidates, to professionals of the travel organization and to international companies that wish to integrate the standard into their procedures for selecting their hotel partners.
Initiative from the professionals – The InSCeHo certification programme brings together the experience of senior professionals from the hospitality security and risk management industries, along with several years of experience in Africa.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
