Star Ratings Australia, the country’s only independent accommodation rating scheme, will close up shop from 30 June.
Michael Reed the chief executive officer of Australian Motoring Services (the company which manages the program) said while they are proud to have provided its members with a valuable and respected scheme, the business model has slowly become obsolete in recent years. Star Ratings has been in operation since the 1950s, and at the height of its success there were 15,000 star rated properties across Australia.
In the wake of this announcement that they will wind down their scheme, the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) is determined to provide quality accreditation for the accommodation sector. ATIC will work with the accommodation sector to ensure appropriate ratings/assessment for the benefit of industry and consumers.
ATIC owns the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP), the largest in the Australian Tourism Industry.
ATIC chair Evan Hall told SpiceNews, “We will work out a way for star rated properties to seamlessly transition into ATIC’s accreditation program.”
“Good quality accommodation providers deserve to have accreditation that makes sure the customer and industry are aware of the value of their product. We will work with the accommodation providers to ensure the good operators can stand out in the crowd with an independently assured quality mark.
“We will work with the accommodation sector and Star Ratings Australia to discuss the best way forward and to assist accommodation providers,” said Hall.
ATAP is a business development program that is based on Quality Assurance principles and certifies tourism businesses that meet specific quality assurance criteria. It is the only accreditation program in Australia that is open to any business that engages in visitor services and operates Australia wide.
Over the past few years the accommodation industry have formed the view that Star rating accreditation is “old world” and they don’t see why they should pay for hotel inspectors to review, when consumers rate in real time on TripAdvisor and OTA’s.
The massive growth in online travel-related content has changed consumer behaviour and the vast array of information available online. Consumers now visit a dozen travel-related sites before making a reservation.
There are now many different objective filters consumers can use in a search and booking process. After considering brand, guest reviews are now the primary factor in determining a hotel’s reputation and final selection and booking.
For good or for bad, the Star Rating system has gone the same way as physical hotel metal keys and elevator attendants. Any efforts to recreate a star rating system would be commercially driven not by consumers or industry.