Certification for Hotels catering for Health Tourists
Health tourism has evolved as a global trend. People with various healthcare conditions or medical problems travel abroad aiming to receive treatment in combination to the travel experience.
Due to their unique needs and expectations, medical travel guests require proof that the hotels and in general hospitality enterprises provide appropriate, safe & efficient accommodation services.
The hospitality sector stands to profit vastly from the substantial new opportunities and economic growth of the sector.
H STAR II certification has been launched especially for travellers with chronic health problems, sensitive customers and medical/ health tourists.
HSTAR II standard provides a framework of best practice and objective evidence of the high level of alertness on issues that may occur to special and/ or sensitive guests as well as of the special adjustments of the services needed to effectively manage the medical and health tourists.
Benefits at a Glance
By ensuring a smooth and safe experience for sensitive guests and health tourists, you stand to:
Draw the growing number of senior tourists, chronic disease patients who regularly travel, medical tourists travelling for elective treatments as well as their escorts –
Become a pole of attraction for thousands of tourists around the globe, looking for safe and quality accommodation with guaranteed awareness and addressing of their healthcare issues.
A matter of RELIABILITY and TRUST in hospitality services
- Effectively Serve patients with chronic diseases, functional conditions with regular health needs or increased safety concerns during travelling
- Support Medical Tourists/ Health Travellers in the concept of Medical or Health Tourism services.
- Enhance overall service safety assurance capabilities of your enterprise
- Boost your competitive profile in hospitality & in the health tourism market
- Achieve increased visibility & recognition by industry stakeholders
- International networking
Application for Certification
The interested Hotel applies electronically, via website, to Swiss Approval Offers’ department, and subsequently, access rights will be provided to the Hotel Management in order to download the Standard.
A financial offer will follow after Standard delivery.
Prerequisites for Certification
The «Enterprise» which applies for the «H STAR II» qualification and certification, according to the current Requirements Framework, should primarily fulfil the following pre-requisites:
- It operates as a legally licensed Hospitality «Enterprise» / «Provider» / «Organization» / «Institution», in the country of establishment, according to the existing valid national, legal, and regulatory framework.
- «4» Stars minimum quality for hospitality service level, should be guaranteed by the «Hospitality Enterprise».
- It fulfills the «H STAR I» standard criteria.
- It implements:
– An operative and adequately documented quality management system according to «H STAR II» criteria framework.
– An operative food hygiene and safety assurance system according to HACCP/ISO 22000 or equivalent.
The above quality management systems should be adapted and operated by the «Enterprise» in line with «H STAR II Hotel» requirements. It should be in a context based on safety requirements, quality assurance principles, and a continuous quality improvement philosophy.
The «H STAR II Hotel» hosting Medical Tourists or International Patients should directly and officially cooperate with a healthcare/medical service facility, which is officially licensed and provides healthcare services at a high quality level (covering the «Blue service for Excellence» requirements in accordance to «H STAR II Hotel» criteria framework).
Pre-assessment stage and – Personnel Training
Thereinafter, the Hotel should go through a pre-assessment and preparation process which is conducted by specialists and experts of the field, in accordance to the Standard requirements and the conformity assessment criteria.
A significant step of the preparation process is the training of the hotel staff to the following topics:
- Cultural sensitivity
- Health Safety Awareness in Hospitality – Sensitive Guests’ and Health Tourists’ Needs
Swiss Approval help desk supports the preparation process of the customer, in case clarifications are needed.
After completion of all activities needed, everything in terms of documentation and related evidence, should be submitted to Swiss Approval Certification Department, according to the related instructions in order to enter the next step of the certification process. A scheduled onsite audit visit, then, should be conducted by Swiss Approval quality experts, following the documents’ submission, in order to execute an onsite assessment of the compliance and conformity level of the services to H STAR II criteria.
Certification Decision
The Certification Manager will evaluate all related documentation and evidence (including the official auditors’ report), and decide independently, for the certification or decline.