BY JAMES WILKINSON
The Australian Hotels Association’s (AHA) new accommodation arm, Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), has launched a five-year plan during a meeting with Australia’s Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson in Sydney last week.
One of the key components of the plan is a partnership with AAA Tourism’s Star Ratings scheme on the implementation of the new ratings system and its integration with the Federal Government’s TQUAL accreditation program.
“Our new partnership with AAAT Star Ratings will provide convenience for accommodation operators who will be able to get both their star rating and TQUAL accreditation completed by one inspector on one visit,” said TAA Managing Director Rodger Powell
“This is all about improving supply-side quality in the Australian market,” he said.
Powell said TAA would also partner with the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute which would provide an “extensive range of hospitality, education and training packages throughout the region”.
“Our exclusive contract with the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute includes the internationally recognised CHA program which has 80,000 graduates in the USA and Europe and is available in 70 countries,” he said.
“This will provide Australian employees with internationally recognised qualifications that are transferrable from one job to another.”
Powell said the five-year business plan “focuses on high profile leadership, more than $2.5 million in additional funding, internationally recognised education programs and offices in every capital city and partnership with AAAT on standards”.
That’s alongside lobbing of key government ministers and federal bodies.
“A major goal of TAA will, of course, be to lobby Federal and State politicians of all political persuasions on behalf of our members,” he said.