In France, concerns arise about the fate of two quality labels, issued by the State, certifying the excellence of services and facilities in the tourism sector. These are the “Qualité Tourisme” and “Tourisme & Handicap” labels: the first, intended for hotels, tourist villages, campsites, restaurants, and cafes, as well as tourist offices, places to visit, and outdoor activities, ensures that customers can enjoy high-quality hospitality and services. The second is granted to tourism professionals committed to ensuring accessibility to recreational activities for people with disabilities, promoting holidays for all.
Managed so far by the French government and the associations ATH and ADN Tourisme, these labels have seen increasing success: in 2023, over 4,333 tourism businesses obtained the “Tourisme & Handicap” label (+18% in one year), while the “Qualité Tourisme” label was awarded to 5,500 establishments (including more than 800 campsites) and 40% of tourist offices. Recently, however, the government announced the transfer of the management of these two labels to the Atout France agency. No problem, except that after several announcements and delays, there is still no definite date for this transfer.
The concern is that the State’s interest in maintaining these two labels may be waning. On the one hand, there seems to be no sign of new resources allocated to certification management, and on the other hand, delays in transitioning to Atout France risk compromising the thoroughness of controls and, therefore, the credibility of the labels. There are fears of both a hasty application of new quality standards and a disruption in monitoring the facilities applying for these labels.
A risk that the tourism sector does not want to take, especially a few months before the start of the Paris Olympic Games. In defense of the two labels, the associations ATH and ADN Tourisme have launched an online petition, urging tourism operators and the public to sign and spread it. With this initiative, the associations call on the government to maintain the current organization, entrusting Atout France only with the promotional aspect, and to continue investing in the two labels to ensure quality and accessible tourism for everyone.
