Interview – Uxue Azpiroz, TÜV HELLAS: ‘Certifications in HORECA Industry are Essential for Companies, Consumers’
Certifications in the HORECA (hotel/restaurant/café) industry are crucial in order for companies to reach the loyalty and trustfulness of customers, according to Uxue Azpiroz of Greece’s certification and inspection body TÜV HELLAS, subsidiary of the German TÜV NORD GROUP.
The head of Senior Auditor Management Systems at TÜV NORD GROUP, Azpiroz in Greece is the Food Sector Manager for TÜV HELLAS and the manager of the TÜV NORD branch on the island of Crete.
In this interview, Azpiroz speaks to GTP Headlines on the significant benefits that certifications bring hotels as consumers now more than ever are taking into account not only health and safety but also sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues.
Considering that the COVID pandemic was a turning point for certification, Azpiroz highlights that consumers today “are way savvier to the need for and the benefits of certification” and are choosing hotels that meet specific standards.
“It is clear that certified companies carry a distinct competitive advantage compared to their non-certified competitors,” she says.
Azpiroz also offers information on the main requirements a hotel should comply with in order to receive certification in today’s current regulatory environment and touches on the issue of sustainability, a “major challenge” of today and tomorrow for companies in the HORECA industry.
“Certification processes and certification bodies in particular can be a very important ally in this direction,” she informs.
Founded in 1869 and headquartered in Hanover, Germany, the inspection and certification organization TÜV NORD GROUP has branches in more than 70 countries of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Its broad consulting, service and inspection portfolio encompasses both specific individual tests and inspections and also management of complex safety solutions.
TÜV HELLAS, the Greek branch of TÜV NORD, has been active since 1987 providing independent inspection and certification services (third party inspection-certification), to the entire range of businesses, both in the private and public sectors in the fields of Technology, Quality, Safety, Energy and Environment.
- GTP: What are the main benefits that certification brings to the HORECA industry?
Uxue Azpiroz: Certification in the HORECA industry, as well as in every other industry sector, carries a number of significant benefits, not only to the companies which are being certified but especially to the consumers. Certification bodies and certification schemes provide a road-map for improvements that helps all interested parties to improve their structure, their operations and their final product or service provided. A certified hotel and/or restaurant has a proven record of compliance with safety and quality regulations. As certification schemes become more demanding, this record may extend to sustainability, data security and even personnel management. On the other hand, those who receive the product and service are certain beyond any doubt, that the providing parties have been thoroughly audited and comply with a very strict and demanding set of regulations.
- GTP: How the post-pandemic era has altered the requirements regarding certification in the field?
Uxue Azpiroz: Τhe COVID pandemic was a turning point for certification, given the fact that most companies – and definitely those belonging to the HORECA industry – had to comply and adapt to a rapidly changing environment. What we learned from experience though, was that the companies who were already paying attention and were already certified in terms of safety had the easiest and in many cases seamless transition to the pandemic related requirements. Today, in the post pandemic era, consumers are way savvier to the need for and the benefits of certification, thus are choosing those companies that meet specific standards. Furthermore, with sustainability being a very important part of the equation, and with the ESG criteria playing a crucial role, the relevant certification is considered a prerequisite both for B2B and also for B2C transactions.
- GTP: And how are the industry professionals complying with these changes?
Uxue Azpiroz: Another major implication of the pandemic and post pandemic era is the fact that industry professionals have understood the importance but also the necessity of certification. At the same time, national regulatory schemes and authorities are paying much more attention to specific regulations, especially those related to health and safety. Thus, inspections are way more thorough, leading quite often to heavy fines. On the other hand, consumers have changed their personal criteria, taking into account not only health and safety but also sustainability and ESG issues. Consequently, industry professionals have entered an “evolve or die” mode, where they strive to comply with a significant number of changes taking place in a very short time. In the post crisis era they are called to understand that being compliant to the rules and requirements that certification standards set is a major priority to be aligned with rapid changing situations.
- GTP: There are those who believe that certification is more of a burden rather an advantage for the HORECA industry. What is your counter-argument?
Uxue Azpiroz: We have to admit that adhering to the rules and requirements set by certification standards is not an easy process. Most companies are forced to reorganize their operations, to set and follow specific procedures and to invest significant amounts of capital both in infrastructures and personnel. So indeed, to be honest, certification demands significant initial investment. However, the outcome and advantages provided by certification are in the long run far outweigh any initial burden.
The opportunity to reach international markets that have set specific standards as well as the credit that certification bodies provide is crucial in an extremely competitive environment. It is also clear that certified companies carry a distinct competitive advantage compared to their non-certified competitors. Furthermore, more and more business owners have come to understand that, after the initial investment, complying with certification standards actually simplifies and improves their operation letting them set specific directives and also train personnel in order to comply with specific rules and regulations.
- GTP: What are the main requirements a hotel should comply with, in the current regulatory environment?
Uxue Azpiroz: The bare minimum set of rules and requirements that a hotel should comply with, are related health and safety. The pandemic era was a lesson to us all, forcing us to understand that health and safety is not a simple matter. Those who had learned the lesson in advance were in a privileged position to adapt to the changes that pandemic brought. On the other hand, those companies and hotels that were certified only “on paper” had to pay a much higher price, both in terms of capital investment but also in effort, to speed up their pace and meet the new requirements . We have to admit that the current regulatory environment has a new dynamic in comparison to the pre pandemic era. Thus, in terms of health and safety, and of course to the relevant certifications, all involved parties including hotels and certification bodies, should be ready to adapt immediately to any possible changes and adopt them in a timely manner.
- GTP: And what additional certifications do you suggest?
Uxue Azpiroz: The second most important aspect in the current business environment is the need to adapt to sustainability needs and adhering to the ESG principles. Hotel guests have become more demanding in regards to sustainable practices and recognizable certifications are crucial to reach customers’ loyalty and trustfulness. Moreover, tour operators and agencies are seeking for hotels engaged to sustainable practices and giving advantage that drives to relevant reservations. Furthermore, funds and financial institutions provide better financing terms to companies applying sustainable policies and practices especially in the tourist sector. In this way, the whole spectrum of certifications that is related to sustainability is considered a “must have” for every modern hotel and HORECA operation that aims at the higher budget customers and /or investors.
- GTP: Achieving sustainability is a major goal throughout the sector. How can certification aid companies in that direction?
Uxue Azpiroz: As mentioned, sustainability is a major challenge of today and tomorrow. In this regard, certification processes and certification bodies in particular can be a very important ally in this direction. To begin with, certification schemes provide a road-map and a set of rules for those that seek to achieve higher sustainability rankings. In fact, they act as a business compass towards this direction, helping companies to focus their investments and work in specific areas for improvement. At the same time, certification schemes are a common game for all players in the field. Being certified by a trusted third party provides an advantage to access to all benefits offered to sustainable companies. Furthermore, certification bodies provide insights and news regarding trends and development in the field of sustainability. Thus, an operational relationship with a certification body allows companies to be on the safe side and helps them act proactively in order to face not only today’s requirements but also tomorrow’s challenges.
- GTP: What are the comparative advantages that your certification body provides?
Uxue Azpiroz: With over 35 years of experience in Greece and also being a part of one of the largest certification bodies worldwide, we are able to combine knowledge with up-to-date insights. Furthermore, we are able to meet all demands in the certification industry and do so in a way that caters to the needs of each customer. Especially in a demanding field, such as the HORECA industry, the certification provided by an international body is acknowledged and accepted on a global level. Our brand awareness and credibility provides an additional layer of trust to our customers, both on a local and international market. At the same time, we have deep and thorough knowledge of the entire value-chain in the tourism industry, related not only to certification of acknowledged standards but also regarding the inspection services in infrastructure as buildings or leisure equipment covering the regulatory needs of the most demanding customers.