2023 QTSAS Assessment Seminar for the Food and Beverage Sector
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) held the 2023 “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” (“QTSAS” or the “Scheme”) Assessment Seminars for the Food and Beverage Sector and Travel Agencies yesterday and today (1 and 2 June) respectively to brief accredited merchants on the assessment criteria and logistics for the Scheme this year. The audience include eligible new merchants and currently-accredited businesses which will compete for the awards again or undergo the assessments for the supervision period.
Over 133 attendees at two seminars
The guests at the seminars include MGTO Acting Director Cheng Wai Tong, President of the Executive Committee of Consumer Council, Leong Pek San, Functional Supervisor of Strategic Research Division of Consumer Council, Kan Chou Pui, representative of Municipal Affairs Bureau, Ma Io Meng, Assistant Professor at Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Yang Jingjing, President of the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, Chan Chak Mo, President of the Board of Directors of Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, Vincent Ieong, Vice President of Macao Travel Agency Association, Leong Sio Pan, Deputy Chairman of Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Tang Ka Man,and Director of Macau Hotel Association, Connie Chio, among others. About 133 participants attended the two seminars in total.
Up to 280 merchants will undergo assessments
As the technical support unit for QTSAS’s assessments in 2023, Enviroforce Monitoring Inspection & Testing Company Ltd. elaborated on the logistics for assessments at both seminars.
According to the established mechanism, format and criteria of assessment in QTSAS, 100 eligible catering businesses which join for the first time or compete for the awards again will undergo a comprehensive round of assessments including four Mystery Shopping Assessments and one Service Management System Audit, whereas 166 currently-accredited catering businesses will undergo two Mystery Shopping Assessments during the supervision period according to the mechanism of accreditation renewal.
As for travel agencies, 13 eligible new merchants will undergo comprehensive assessments including four Mystery Shopping Assessments and one Service Management System Audit.
The period of supervision and assessment will span about six months. Merchants who meet the required standards will be recommended to the QTSAS Assessment Committee for final approval and award conferment.
The public can browse the Macao Tourism Industry Net:https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/page/content.php?page_id=219 for QTSAS’s application manual and assessment criteria.
Elaboration on the Law on the Operation of Hotel Establishments and the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law
During the QTSAS Assessment Seminar for the Food and Beverage Sector, a staffer from the Licensing and Inspection Department of MGTO introduced the merchants to the Law No. 8/2021 on the Operation of Hotel Establishments in effect since 1 January 2022, followed by the Consumer Council’s presentation of the Law No. 9/2021 “Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law”.
Reclassification of catering sector
In accord with the Macao SAR’s Law No. 8/2021 on the Operation of Hotel Establishments effective since 2022, MGTO made corresponding adjustments to the rules of enforcement and award mechanism of QTSAS for the catering sector. The application manual and assessment criteria were amended accordingly.
After adjustments, QTSAS has reclassified catering businesses into the four categories of “Restaurant (hotel)”, “Restaurant (non-hotel)”, “Simple Dining Establishment” and “Food and Beverage Establishment”. In terms of awards, some awards were renamed while four new “Special Theme Awards” were added.
Four new Special Theme Awards for the catering sector
With the prevalence of smart technology, growing awareness on environmental protection and community care, as well as the local characteristics of diverse cultural harmony, the Scheme will confer four new Special Theme Awards upon accredited catering businesses, namely Operational Innovation Award, Sustainable Dining Award, Community Care Services Award and Local Feature Award, which encourage the trade to keep up with the modern world in their comprehensive service upgrade.
As QTSAS once again welcomes applications from new participants and currently-accredited catering businesses in 2023, the Scheme of the year will present not just accolades including “Quality Tourism Services Merchant Award”, “Quality Tourism Services Gold Award” and “Quality Tourism Services Excellence Award” but also the four Special Theme Awards to catering businesses, given that the conditions allow pertinent assessment and conferment of the new awards.
Implementation of QTSAS 2023
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, contingency arrangements were adopted for QTSAS from 2020 to 2022 in accord with the actual situation of local businesses. With the lifting of border restrictions and gradual resumption of social and economic activities in Macao, while taking into consideration the pace of recovery in different sectors, QTSAS 2023 will be conducted as follows:
Catering sector: new participants and currently-accredited businesses are once again welcome to submit their applications to undergo assessments and compete for the awards, while currently-accredited businesses can also choose to undergo assessments during the supervision period for award renewal.
Travel agencies: resume processing of applications and assessments for basic accreditations, while the accredited status is maintained for currently-awarded merchants which meet the criteria during the supervision period.
Retail sector: Continue to partner with the Consumer Council in the collaboration between QTSAS andthe “Certified Shop” scheme.
Continuous scheme promotes enhancement of service quality
Since QTSAS’s inception in 2014 till today, MGTO aims to encourage and support industry partners to enhance their service quality through recognition and commendation, in keeping with Macao’s development into a world centre of tourism and leisure.
