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During the board of directors meeting on March 28, the administrators of the CITQ officially appointed Jocelyn Dessureault to the position of executive director of the Corporation. He stated that he is grateful and committed to ensuring the best interests of the CITQ and the development of the official classification program.

Jocelyn Dessureault will continue in his position of Director of CITQs classification service, which he has held for over twelve years. Prior to joining the CITQ, he occupied establishment manager positions for over 25 years.
The entire CITQ team is excited about Jocelyn Dessureault’s appointment and pledge its support and complete collaboration.
 
 

It is with great enthusiasm that I accepted my appointment to the position of executive director of the CITQ. As I did so during the past months during which I had assumed the position of Interim executive director, I would like to assure you that my priority will be to offer establishment owners a highly professional service.

Moreover, I will continue to classify the quality of accommodation services while providing consumers with reliable and credible information regarding the comfort and services of the establishments that we classify.

At this time, it is my pleasure to present this first edition of the electronic infoCITQ. As with the paper format, our newsletter will continue to offer exclusive information on the official classification of the tourist accommodations program and on our various value-added services.

In this edition, you will find the highlights of the CITQs 2018 activity report. Throughout this year, our team has successfully met several challenges. Requests for certification have increased at an accelerated rate and the number of establishments having been certified has reached an all time high.

Tourist accommodations is a passion that drives the entire CITQ team and we are pleased to share it with you. I wish you a wonderful tourist season.


Jocelyn Dessureault

THE CITQS 2018 ACTIVITY REPORT IS NOW ONLINE
Click here to consult it
 
The period of validity of a certificate is two years and a CITQ classifier must visit each establishment during this period.
 
  
CES DISTRIBUTION
Guest room Televisions and Technologies
How to upgrade your hotel and make sustainable decisions.

Many of you may have heard of the new technologies such as "Smart TVs" and "Casting" that allow people to access their own multimedia content wherever they are. This means that your customers will now want these services in their guestroom!

However, a common mistake is to think that purchasing a batch of Smart TVs at a retail discount store to save money is a smart move. We strongly recommend speaking to an industry expert before making any important decision, because the technologies used by these consumer products are neither adapted nor manufactured for hotels.

To recreate the comforts of home in your hotel without compromising the security and satisfaction of your customers, it will be necessary to control many aspects such as the security of the client credentials and to ensure the experience is smooth, easy and effective. To archive this information, you may also want to consider the addition of an interactive platform for a more complete solution. In all cases, the hotel will require new televisions for these technologies to operate properly and to offer a safe experience. Having access to a complete commercial warranty and programming assistance is another important benefit which will prevent many maintenance headaches and costs.

Our experts at CES can offer hotel TV options with Casting and interactive platforms (for example Pro: Centric from LG, ask us for a demo!), as well as other products to optimize your rooms technologically. Contact us and you will be surprised at all the available options and the benefits of working with us.

Philippe Landry
plandry@cesdistribution.com
National Sales Director
 
CITQ 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

During the annual general assembly, held on March 28, the members of the CITQ elected their new board of directors. Originating from several regions throughout Québec, the CITQ administrators represent the seven categories of accommodation establishments classified by the CITQ. The 2019 board of directors is comprised of:

• Dominique Lapointe, Chair of the board (Quebec region/hotel establishments)
• Vincent Bérubé, Treasurer (Bas-Saint-Laurent/youth hostels)
• Carole Bélanger (Eastern Townships/bed and breakfast establishments)
• Michelle Doré (Quebec region/ hotel establishments)
• Daniel Guay (Charlevoix/tourist homes)
• Thibaut Godicheau (Quebec region/hotel establishments)
• Catherine Lefresne (Montréal/tourist homes)
• Jeannette Lepage (Eastern Townships/tourist homes)
• Aurélie Marchand (Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean/bed and breakfast establishments)
• Caroline Milot, outgoing President (Centre-du-Québec/hotel establishments)
• Philippe Morand (Lanaudière/vacation resorts)
• Geneviève Normand (Quebec region/tourist homes)
• Dino Santelli (Montréal/other accommodation establishments)
• Stewart Rubin (Montréal/hotel establishments)
• Kamal Shah, (Laurentians/tourist homes)

Secretary
Jocelyn Dessureault, General Director of the CITQ
 
 


THE CITQ PLANNING SERVICE WAS HIGHLY APPRECIATED IN 2018


In 2018, the CITQ team realized 158 planning projects. Since it was launched in 2008, more than 980 operators have benefited from this service. Provided by means of a specially-designed software, the goal of the planning service is to help operators, managers and promoters to reach their desired level of classification and to better target their investments based on this level.
 

LACK OF CLEANLINESS AND MAINTENANCE
IS AT THE TOP OF THE COMPLAINTS
PROCESSED BY THE CITQ IN 2018


REASONS FOR DISCONTENT Mentioned in (%) complaints
Cleanliness and state of the site 93 %
Lack of services, amenities and comfort 5 %
Restauration and breakfast services 1 %
Classification (number of stars)* 1 %

*For transparency purposes, no mentions on the classification were discarded even if some related to elements that are not included in the classification criteria.

The CITQ classification guides do not include the newest materials that have appeared on the market.

FALSE CITQ classifiers receive ongoing training regarding the new offers on the market (visits by manufacturers, shows, presentations by experts, etc.). This training allows them to apply equivalent measures should the reference not be present in the classification guides.

The classification does not include the reception quality.

TRUE Classification is based on criteria that is objectively measurable. The provision of services is an element that can vary from one person to the next, and from one moment to the next. The provision of services falls under the certification programs with mystery clients.
 
 
 
  
In my latest column, I mentioned insurance rate adjustments and several restrictions blocking access to insurance products, in many sectors of activity. Your industry has not been spared. Some insurers have decided not to provide coverage in the hospitality and restauration sectors.

At all times, there are the consequences of a high sinistrality rate. But why is there such a discouraging rate of loss? For regular insurers, the risks are studied on an individual basis by analysts who do not necessarily possess a profound knowledge of the sectors of activity submitted for analysis. It is possible for them to incorrectly evaluate coverage and offer an inadequate rate.

The insurer, in turn, analyzes all the risks contained in the portfolio and evaluates the profitability by accumulating the losses paid and the management administration fees, which we refer to as a “combined ratio”. When these analyses indicate a combined ratio over an extended period, the insurer must apply corrective measures in order to satisfy the stockholders.

At Invessa, although we are also under pressure, we have always acted so as to maintain the lowest possible rate of loss and uphold supplier profitability. Over time, we have succeeded in meeting this challenge specifically due to our knowledge of the industry. Over the next months, or even years, we will need to maintain our strength in order to preserve our position as a reference for insurance products providers.

Invessa is the REFERENCE for accommodation establishments.

Jean-François Trudel, Vice-President, Operations
514 382-6560 1 800 561-6560
 
 
1010 De Sérigny, Suite 810 Longueuil (Quebec) J4K 5G7
450 679-3737  | 1 866 499-0550 | Fax : 450 679-1489
info@citq.qc.ca
LEGAL DEPOSIT
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, 2019
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ET ARCHIVES NATIONALES DU QUÉBEC, 2019
ISSN-1710-2405 (PRINTED) ISSN-1715-2496 (ONLINE)
PLEASE NOTE : The CITQ is not responsible in any way for the information in our contributors’ advertorials and advertisements, and they are in no way to be considered endorsements. Although these articles and advertisements are intended to provide you with useful information on operating tourist accommodation establishments, we recommend that you shop around and make the appropriate comparisons before choosing a product or service.
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