Perception of ISO 9000 Certification: Management Perspective of Travel Agencies in China

• Published in: Asia Pacific journal of tourism research Vol. 19; no. 10; pp. 1207 - 1227
• Main Authors: Mak, Barry L.M., Kong, Creamy W.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 03-10-2014; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Certification; ISO 9000; management perception; quality assurance; Tourism; Travel agencies; travel agency; China
• ISSN: 1094-1665; 1741-6507
• DOI: 10.1080/10941665.2013.838181

Tourism is an intangible combination of different but interrelated elements that resulting in opportunities for mistakes and complaints. The implementation of a formal quality management program is crucial for tourism businesses. The present study implemented a full-structured questionnaire to evaluate the perception of ISO 9000 certification of registered travel agencies in Mainland China. It was found that the perception of top management plays a critical part in determining the intention of the company to be certified. The study also highlighted that the certification could enhance competiveness of the firm in the domestic market, can project a competitive company image, and increase employee commitment to quality conformance and communication with customers. Nonetheless, the barriers of certification do not play an effective role in discriminating certification intenders and non-intenders and it can be explained when both intenders and non-intenders believe the certification process to be costly, time consuming, and highly specialized.