Enabling quality in the tourism industry: an evaluation of business excellence in Greek hotels [Summary]

Economic crisis, technological innovation, and shifting social and cultural norms have changed the level of competition in the tourism industry. In Greece, tourism has a direct impact on the national economy, and hotels are its most prominent industry. The five enablers of quality contained in the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model offer a framework for studying business excellence in the Greek hotel industry. Based on those enablers, a survey of 34 five-star properties reveals that although most of the hotels are working toward business excellence, a number of areas still call for improvement, including benchmarking, the evaluation of historical data, and various aspects of human resources management.