Adventure tourism is increasing in popularity and this means more people choosing trips that include potentially dangerous activities. Sadly, the recent tragedy at Mt. Everest only highlights the challenges of this fledgling industry. ISO has been working on standards to help make adventure tourism safer during the last few years. Now these new ISO adventure tourism standards have just been published. They are ISO 21101, “Adventure tourism – Safety management systems – Requirements,” and ISO 21103, “Adventure tourism – Information for participants.” A third technical report, ISO 21102 “Adventure tourism – Leaders – Personnel competence,” was released in September of last year. We’ll review each separately.
ISO 21101, 1st Edition, “Adventure tourism – Safety management systems – Requirements”
This new standard provides the user with a basic set of requirements for a safety management system. This is based on managing risk and setting up a framework for continual improvement. You’ll start with an analysis of the activities you provide and the expectations of your customer base. You’ll define what processes you need to implement to ensure safety and the measures you’ll need to take to maintain them.
One really great thing about this standard, and other similar documents, is that the requirements of the publication is backed up with examples of forms and other tools for your review. It’s one thing to know that you need to keep track of “incidents” and another to see an example of a form that you can use with the relevant information clearly defined.
You’ll use this standard to define your safety policy and objectives, and to set up your procedures for risk management, operational controls and emergency preparedness.
ISO/TR 21102, 1st Edition, “Adventure tourism – Leaders – Personnel competence”
There’s a truism in business that you’re only as good as your people. This need for competent staff is especially critical to the successful operation of an adventure tourism business. While some criteria for personnel will change based on the type of tours that are being offered, there’s some attributes and attitudes that are universal.
Other nice features of this standard are sections to help you define the leadership role you expect your candidates to take on and the competencies that you’ll need them to have. Finding the right person for any job can take effort. In this type of work where there are real dangers to your customers, it’s an essential activity. Having a guide to help you set your expectations for performance for your leaders and suggestions on how to maintain and foster professionalism is most useful.
ISO 21103, 1st Edition, “Adventure tourism – Information for participants”
The third publication in the series covers customers and customer expectations. Sometimes safety is not only dependent on the activity provider but also on the capabilities of the participant. Helping your customer base understand the level of fitness (and trill-seeking) required for your service is of course required. But it is also critical for participants to have a clear understanding of the risks involved with the activity.
This need for complete and accurate information regarding any adventure tourism activity may be complicated by language and other communication hiccups. You’ll need to be able to not only ensure that you’re providing clear information about your product to your customer, but also that the information that they provide to you prior to the activity meets your needs.
This standard covers the exchange of information from the pre-booking phase to communicating during the activity and even in the follow-up phase after the activity is finished. It will surely assist you in reviewing your materials and policies to make sure you’ve covered all the items that may affect the safety of the experience for the consumer and promote your reputation as a safe provider of such services.
If you’d like to review and use these standards, you’ll go to our Document Center webstore at www.document-center.com. There you can search for and order the standards that will help you improve your business practices and your product safety. Or you can contact our staff directly by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com). We’ve been providing our customers with standards and standards services since 1982. Make us your Standards Experts!
