QTSAS Online Assessment Seminar for the Food and Beverage Sector in 2022
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) held the 2022 “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” (“QTSAS” or the “Scheme”) Online Assessment Seminar for the Food and Beverage Sector today (12 August), to brief accredited merchants on the assessment criteria and logistics during the supervision period.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, MGTO will continue with its alternative plan for QTSAS to not process new applications from the catering sector in 2022. Nonetheless, the Office will appraise each accredited catering business by "Mystery Shopping Assessment" twice during the supervision period according to the current assessment mechanism.
MGTO Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong; Head of Training and Quality Management Department of MGTO, Doris Leong; Full-time Member of the Executive Committee of Consumer Council, Leong Pek San; representative of Municipal Affairs Bureau, Ma Io Meng; Assistant Professor and representative of Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Yvonne Chen; Chairman of Travel Industry Council of Macau, Andy Wu; Chair of Macau Hotel Association, Jocelyn Wong; Chairman of the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, Kenneth Lei; President of the Board of Directors of Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, Vincent Ieong; Vice President and Secretary General of Macao Travel Agency Association, Leong Sio Pan, and Deputy Secretary General of the Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Bill Pun, among others, a total of around 73 personages attended the online Seminar.
Two "Mystery Shopping Assessments” for each accredited catering business
As the technical support unit for QTSAS’s assessment on accredited catering businesses in 2022, Enviroforce Monitoring Inspection & Testing Company Ltd. elaborated on the assessment criteria and logistics at the Seminar. Following the assessment mechanism specified by the amended guideline on applications for QTSAS 2022, the QTSAS Assessment Committee will conduct "Mystery Shopping Assessment" twice on each of the 258 QTSAS-accredited businesses. Merchants who pass the assessments will remain accredited with the Star Merchant Award.
Reclassification of catering sector
In accord with the Macao SAR’s Law No. 8/2021 on the Operation of Hotel Establishments in effect from 2022 onwards, MGTO made corresponding adjustments to the rules of enforcement and award mechanism of QTSAS for the catering sector earlier. The application manual and assessment criteria were amended accordingly.
Under the amended rules of enforcement, QTSAS reclassifies catering businesses into the four categories of “Restaurant (hotel)”, “Restaurant (non-hotel)”, “Food and Beverage Establishment” and “Simple Dining Establishment”. In addition, the “Special Theme Award” was added to the range of awards, of which some were renamed.
Owing to the pandemic situation, the Office suspended QTSAS’s application program for the catering sector in 2022. The assessment and conferment of the new award will begin after the Scheme resumes full operation. The public can browse Macao Tourism Industry Net: https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/page/content.php?page_id=237 for QTSAS’s latest application manual and assessment criteria for the catering sector.
MGTO will carry on QTSAS to support the trade’s advancement of tourism service quality overall, while encouraging members of the tourism and related industries to join hands in offering excellent trip experiences, in line with Macao’s development into a world centre of tourism and leisure.
