The UNWTO.Sbest Audit has been designed to certify excellence of service in key operations and businesses of Tourism Destinations and determine magnitude and relative importance of quality gaps in Human Resources Development (HRD) and Human Resources Management (HRM).

The UNWTO.TLMO allows for the continuous monitoring of the gaps while the Audit certifies good results in minimising these gaps.

UNWTO.Sbest Training is a programme intended to improve the competitiveness of Tourism Destinations by means of an intensive programme of standardized training for their human resources (on-the-job training) and the simultaneous promotion of the participating Institutions, Companies and Tourism Destinations.


What does a UNWTO.Sbest Training programme consist of?

• The standardised continuous training programme consists of a minimum of three obligatory courses, two of which are designed and prepared by the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation on Customer Service and Total Quality in Tourism. The third course, and other optional courses, are suggested by the corresponding Tourism Destination, but nevertheless must follow the GTAT criteria and methodology and will be supervised by the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation.
• The Programme, Contents and teaching methodology are adapted to the specific characteristics of the destination once the needs and objectives to be attained by the UNWTO.Sbest programme have been defined.
• Each course has a minimum duration of 25 class hours and therefore, the total training offered will be a minimum of 75 hours. There will be a maximum of 40 students per class
• The Training Programme is carried out in collaboration with one of the UNWTO.TedQual Institutions in the area or country, during the destination’s low season.
• The UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation carries out the initial training of the experts (Educating the Educators) who will then effectively impart the Training Programme to the corresponding Tourism Destination’s Human Resources.

Benefits of the UNWTO.Sbest Training

• Significantly improve the level of commitment and awareness of the Human Resources of the corresponding company, Institution and Tourism Destination.
• Increase their client’s and user’s satisfaction.
• Obtain the international accreditation issued by UNWTO that recognizes them as a company, Institution or Tourism Destination with ”Excellence in Service”.
• Use of this accreditation, during its validity period, to differentiate itself in its marketing strategies.

Who can request a UNWTO.Sbest Training programme?
Tourism Destinations and Clusters with a relevant tourism supply (5.000 to 10.000
regulated beds) and/or with an internationally recognised positioning as a Tourism
Destination. They have to be under the jurisdiction of a UNWTO Member State.
What does


Management of the Programme
1. The entity applying for a UNWTO.Sbest programme should send a request to UNWTO by fax or official letter, indicating its desire to initiate a UNWTO.Sbest Programme in one of the areas of its competence and including:

• The destination or cluster concerned.
• The public and private entities participating
• The estimated number of people who will attend the courses.
• Whether it is already coordinating with an education institution belonging to the UNWTO Education Council or if it wishes UNWTO to advise them in this regard.
• The optional courses proposed
• The estimated dates for the activity
• The estimated budget for the activity
• The forms of financing for this budget
• Should the entity interested not be a national Government, the request must include the corresponding Government’s authorisation to start the procedures for the UNWTO.Sbest programme.

2. UNWTO, together with the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation, will analyse the proposal made and will respond with any specific observations it may have.

3. Once the final format of the specific UNWTO.Sbest programme has been accepted by both parties, the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation will sent the corresponding agreement for signature and the documentation corresponding to the technical conditions for the development of the activities.

4. The UNWTO.Sbest programme allows, along with the obligatory courses, other activities related to the development of Human Resources to be carried out (specialised courses for managers, monographic conferences, specialised workshops, studies on the destination’s labour needs, …)

5. The UNWTO and the entities participating in the programme will disseminate information on the awarding of the UNWTO.Sbest diplomas and accreditation by all pertinent means, for promotional purposes.

6. The entity requesting the programme and the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation will proceed to carry out the programme under the established terms. The academic supervision will be the responsibility of the participating UNWTO.TedQual Certified Institution and the UNWTO·THEMIS Foundation.

The WTO.Tourism Labour Market Observatory (UNWTO.TLMO) analyses the status and trends of the tourism labour markets at destination, regional and global level. It intends to add value to the tourism policy measures of WTO Members by identifying strengths and weaknesses within their tourism labour markets as well as by providing an overview of supply, demand and specific characteristics and trends of these markets at international, national and destination levels.

This programme intended to add value to the tourism policy measures of UNWTO Members by identifying strengths and weaknesses within their tourism labour markets as well as providing an overview of supply ,demand and specific characteristics and trends of these markets at international, national and destination level.

Objectives of the UNWTO.TLMO

• To know the Human Resources needs of tourism activity at destination, regional and global level, as well as the satisfaction of employers with the actual conditions of  human resources supply.
  
• To detect the needs and satisfaction of the exciting human resources in each destination as well as that of prospective new professionals in Tourism.
• To evaluate satisfaction levels of present-day consumers with tourism services and Human Resources in each destination.
• To establish the dimension of existing quality gaps between present-day supply of Education and Training in Tourism and the needs and expectations of consumers, employers, workers and students.

Characteristics of the UNWTO.TLMO

• It will operate thanks to a partnership among Tourism Business Operators, Destination Management organizations, NTOs /NTAs and UNWTO.EdC Members.
• The results will be made available to UNWTO Members and the tourism industry in general.
• It will facilitate the continuos monitoring of tourism labour market conditions.
• It will serve to define Tourism Training and Education elements that enhance the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses in Human Resources.

Conditions for participating

• To be a member of UNWTO
• To formally express a commitment to excellence within the UNWTO.Sbest Initiative for Tourism Destinations
• To comply with the technical requirements established in the UNWTO.Sbest Initiative for each category (type) of tourism destination
• To formally establish the local UNWTO.Destination Observatory Board (WTO.DOEB) made up of representatives of the public sector, the private sector and the tourism Education and Training institutions.
• To attend the Annual Plenary Conference of UNWTO.Sbest Initiative for tourism destinations and actively participate in the WTO.TLMO sessions within that conference.