**1.2. Particularities of the quality in tourism**

**1.1. The meanings of quality and quality management**

160 Mobilities, Tourism and Travel Behavior - Contexts and Boundaries

(1983) says "quality is a way of manage."

ments of modern management [6].

Quality is a common term used in everyday speech, but with various meanings. The term "quality" defines "an essential, or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute; character

In the modern industry, the first practical approach to quality was in a technical perspective, product related. But the quality thinking has evolved over time. The modern quality approach, specific to the last decades, is customer related: the quality is evaluated based on the customer requirements, and it means "fitness for use" [2, 3]. In this case, the term quality does not have the popular meaning of "best" in any absolute sense, it means best for certain target groups of customers; if a product or service meets expectations, then the quality has been achieved.

Taking into account customer orientation, Kosar and Kosar consider that "quality is a market category that encompasses the totality of creation and realization of tangible products and services, on the level to which their properties ensure the compliance with the requirements of demand" [4]. But the quality approach is more than marketing related: it covers the entire organization and includes all processes on which the client satisfaction depends. This holistic approach to quality in the organization context is generically called "Quality Management." Quality management presumes an approach of quality within the entire organization, given that satisfying customers and other stakeholders' requirements represent the mission of the whole system. As Juran highlights, quality is no longer a technical issue. It is a business issue and corresponds with the organization's mission to satisfy the stakeholders needs and expectations [5]. Achieving quality in organization is a matter of management; as Feigenbaum

Implementation of quality management within the organization involves the development of processes, structures, methods, etc., by which there are systematically achieved planning, doing, controlling, and quality improvement. This succession summarizes the cycle of management activities in a modern approach [3]. Quality management integrates some basic principles: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, improvement, process approach, evidence-based decision making, and relationship management, which are the defining ele-

A wider perspective on quality, which takes into account not only the requirements of customers but also of other interested parties, is synthesized in the expressions "Total Quality," or "Total Quality Management," extensively used in specialized studies and also in practice [2, 3]. TQM (abbreviation of Total Quality Management) defines a management philosophy characterized by integrating quality across the organization in order to satisfy customer and other stakeholders' requirements. The "total" attribute associated with quality term suggests the broad meaning assigned to quality, both in terms of coverage and objectives. Total quality refers to all areas of activity of the organization; it pursues the full satisfaction of the beneficiaries, through performances, deadlines, and prices, while obtaining economic advantages;

The introduction of the expressions "quality management" and TQM date back to the 1990s and synthesizes an evolved level of quality approach from the perspective of management.

it also presumes broad involvement in quality achievement of all staff [3].

with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence; superiority; excellence" [1].

Assessing the quality of tourism services involves clarifying the concept of tourism product and to identify its defining features.

Simply put, tourism products can be defined as products that satisfy the needs of tourists. The first important characteristic of the tourism product is its complexity: the tourism product is a composite one, consisting of several goods and services offered to satisfy the tourists needs. It generally includes accommodation, transportation, and dining, as well as attractions and entertainment. Consequently, measuring quality of the tourism product must consider a lot of product distinguished features.

Furthermore, a tourism product is often related to a tourist destination. According to Webster's Dictionary, destination means "a place set for the end of a journey." In tourism, the term destination generally refers to an area where tourism is a relatively important activity, generating significant revenues. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines the "tourist destination" concept, as: "A physical space with or without administrative and/or analytical boundaries, in which a visitor can spend an overnight. It is the cluster (co-location) of products and services, and of activities and experiences along the tourism value chain, and a basic unit of analysis of tourism. A destination incorporates various stakeholders and can network to form larger destinations" [9]. In terms of size, a tourist destination can be a city, village, or resort but also may include many cities, regions and even an entire country.

Whether it is an organization or a tourist destination, in both cases defining and evaluating quality of the tourism product are difficult issues. They require consideration of a collection of services, as transport, room accommodation, some specific menu, and the opportunity to sit on a beach or to make trips, and also other tangible and intangible elements related to the natural environment, culture and heritage of the region, atmosphere and hospitality. All these elements are parts of the tourism product, which is therefore "not only a collection of tangible products and intangible services, but also psychological experiences" [10].

Within the tourism literature, it is widely accepted that tourism primary sells a "stage" experience, and accordingly, the managers of the tourism businesses may seek to influence the tourists' experience [11]. O'Dell points out that experiences involve more than the tourists, "the tourism industry is also part of the generation, staging, and consumption of experiences" [12]. According to Neuhofer et al., "the creation of successful experiences is the essence of the tourism and hospitality industry" [13]. In this regard, the OECD report on tourism trend and policies stresses that "Policies at national, regional and local level increasingly focus in identifying, nurturing and investing in product development experiences that emphasize unique selling points for particular destinations" [14].

One can conclude that a tourism product is a complex amalgam, including tangible products, intangible services, and psychological experiences. The main mission of any tourism organization or destination is providing memorable experiences for their customer, resulting in customer satisfaction, superior value, and competitive advantage. These aspects must be considered when addressing quality in tourism, which is performed under specific forms in all organizations and coordination structures of the tourism sector.
