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STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
A new digital register is being developed for different grades of hotels in the Balearics by the Centre for Research and Investigation in Tourism (Cidtur).

It consists of giving each category of hotel or tourist establishment a descriptive code when reservations are made either through a travel agency or on the internet. The identifying labeL will thus guarantee a particular standard of accommodation. If the pilot scheme being tested in the Islands is successful, it will be extended to the rest of the country.

Cidtur Director, Mateu Alemany said yesterday that the identification labels consisting of a combination of numbers and letters are completely distinguishable one from the other. He said it will provide a clarity of grade and type of accommodation to prospective clients, particularly if they are using the internet to make their booking.

As an example, said Alemany, using the I.D. label, there could be no possible confusion for clients between the five-star Hotel Mallorca Palace situated in Sa Coma, and the four-star Hotel Isla de Mallora located in Palma. It is a similar system he said to the “ISBN” numbering system when ordering a book - each has its own unique identification.

The system is being developed in collaboration with the Balearic University and a cluster of companies in the region specialising in high technology.
The new coding is not just being applied to tourist accommodation. It is being extended to restaurants, travel agencies, transport companies, holiday businesses and other complementary activities to make it easier for the client to “home in” on exactly what he or she is looking for.