ISO 13009 Tourism and related services. Requirements and recommendations for beach operation
The international standard ISO 13009 established general requirements and recommendations for beach operators that offer tourist and visitor services. The standard provides guidance for both beach operators and users regarding the delivery sustainable management and planning, beach ownership, sustainable infrastructure and service needs, including beach safety, information and communication, cleaning and waste removal.
ISO 13009 is the first specific standard developed specifically for beaches. Before to its publication, there were almost no guidelines to help beach operators define and plan their management. As a result, many beaches are not developed and managed in a sustainable way, often leaving unpleasant impressions on tourists and visitors. ISO 13009 provides guidelines to support the development of international criteria for beach management and safety. By implementing it, beach operators will be able to make better informed decisions about the management, based on best practices.
In ISO 13009, risk management procedures are intended to be used. Performing a risk assessment is an easy way to support the management and safety of a beach. It also determines the type of beach (high activity beach or low activity beach). Each beach is unique and has its own characteristics. A beach can be defined as a low activity beach for most of the year, but can be classified as a high activity beach for two weeks of the year (e.g. during a season or carnival period), therefore a different management approach is needed. The standard allows operators to use specific requirements of the standard depending on the type of beach served at a particular time of year.
In addition to the entire organization of the beach, the standard includes other important aspects such as the tràining and the information on beach safety, access and zoning, surveillance and rescue, water Quality and leisure facilities.
ISO 13009 scope:
- information services on beaches;
- beach safety services – signalling, flags, zoning, control;
- accessibility;
- cleaning and waste deposition;
- commercial services – restaurants, sports, etc.;
- risk monitoring and assessment.
What are the benefits of implementing ISO 13009?
The implementation of the ISO 13009 standard brings a number of benefits and advantages both for the beach operators and for the local communities in the regions where tourism is one of the main economic activities:
- better tourist services and higher customer satisfaction, by providing Quality services in order to build a good image of the destination, and as a consequence economic growth of the region;
- compliance with regulatory requirements;
- highly efficient and sustainable infrastructure;
- accident prevention and emergency management;
- limiting the impact on the Environment by managing the social and economic risks arising from it;
- increasing trust among the local population;
- continuous improvement;
- support for raising public awareness about the sustainable development of beach areas;
- improving the economic and social structure of seaside resorts.
ISO 13009 Tourism and related services. Requirements and recommendations for beach operation
Implementation of management standards
CONSEJO Ltd. is a consulting company with over 20 years of practical experience in the development, implementation and maintenance of management systems in accordance with international standards and regulatory requirements. The company provides consulting services in the areas of quality management, environmental management, occupational health and safety, food safety, information security, cybersecurity, risk management and sustainable development. Our expertise covers standards and schemes such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO/IEC 27001, IFS Food, BRCGS and HACCP, as well as consulting services related to NIS2, DORA, GDPR and EcoVadis.
The CONSEJO team has been involved in over 1,500 projects for organizations across various sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, construction, energy, information technology, transport, trade, the food industry and services. Our approach focuses on developing management systems that work effectively in practice, tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of each organization. We work closely with our clients, providing consulting support, staff training and assistance during implementation. We strive to deliver high-quality services within the agreed deadlines and solutions that support successful certification and create long-term value for businesses.
