Who is the CERTA label for?
The CERTA label is aimed at any Belgian travel organiser* registered with the Banque Carrefour des entreprises" and active in travel sales.
The criteria for awarding the label are, on the one hand, administrative and legal requirements that are imposed on any professional in the sector, and on the other hand, conditions relating to the quality of the exercise of the profession.
*A travel organiser is a company that sells travel to others and that has all the compulsory insurance and safety measures in place to ensure the safety of the traveller.
Eligibility requirements
To obtain the CERTA label, the tour operator must meet 7 eligibility criteria:
1. Legal obligations related to the profession: having insolvency and liability insurance, understanding and applying the VAT regime specific to travel sales, adhering to FSMA in case of insurance sales, agreeing to the GDPR conditions - privacy protections related to travel sales.
2. Acknowledge the existence of the Travel Disputes Commission in the event of a dispute and adhere to its terms and conditions for its own contracts.
3. Agree to share sales figures anonymously in order to help the industry best meet market demand for figures.
4. Sign and acknowledge by a sector-specific code of conduct.
5. To have followed at least one cycle of compulsory basic training and to commit to regular training through, among others, the Belgian Travel Academy.
6. Commit to responsible tourism by joining the STOP campaign (ECPAT association - against sex tourism); by committing to offering a carbon offset tool to all its clients and by signing the minimum responsible commitment charter.
7. Committing to become an ambassador for the CERTA label, both in their professional behaviour and in their communications.
The process of labellisation
The application process starts with an initial online stage via this site. The company uploads the requested documents (attestations and certificates).
The system checks that the documents to be submitted are loaded.
As soon as the file is completed with all the documents to be submitted, the secretariat receives a message from the system. A first check of the uploaded documents is then carried out.
The Secretariat then sends a self-assessment note to the CERTA applicant. The purpose of this first step is to identify the quality of the documents submitted. The company is then encouraged to correct and continue the process.
The Secretariat then sends a self-assessment note to the CERTA applicant. The purpose of this first step is to identify the quality of the documents submitted. The company is then encouraged to correct and continue the process.
The finalised file is submitted to the labelling committee* at the end of each quarter when the training cycle is completed. The finalised file is then maintained by the secretariat for submission to the Audit Committee when the training cycle is completed.
* This labelling committee is composed of an independant president, the representatives of the full members of the BTC, 2 associate members of the BTC and an independent lawyer.
In parallel, the applicant company is encouraged to communicate to its teams the obligation to follow at least the 5 e-learning courses specially created to ensure the required basic knowledge. From December 2022 on, the 5 e-learnings are available. They cover the following topics: legal, pricing and profitability, sales techniques, marketing strategy and customer experience. These e-learnings last between 1h30 and 3h00, can be followed on computer, smartphone, can be interrupted and then restarted. At the end of each module, a test allows the user to assess his or her level of knowledge. The 5 e-learnings must be followed and the test passed by a minimum of one employee per 5 FTEs/company. The certificate of achievement for each of the modules must be loaded into the system.
The CERTA GREEN
If the company applies for the CERTA Green certificate, it is put in touch with our partner Travelife. This is an international sustainability label with a proven track record. It has a sophisticated online tool and carries out face-to-face audits. The CERTA green label is approved by Travelife. The company will then upload its certificate. BTC will help you with your application.
FAQ
Who is behind this label?
The CERTA label is the result of consultation between associations in the tourism sector, the Walloon General Tourism Council, with the support of the Higher Council for the Self-Employed and SMEs.
Is the label regularly reviewed?
The labelling committee is responsible for validating the list of criteria for awarding the quality label and evaluating the scheme every two years.
How long is the label valid?
The label is valid for two years. After this period, the file must be updated by the applicant company. New training courses must also be followed.
Membership
The cost of certification is set, for 2023 & 2024, i.e. 2 years, at €900 excluding VAT for the CERTA label, €1,250 excluding VAT for the CERTA Green label for companies that are members of the UPAV and VVR associations. The price for the non UPAV-VVR members is €1,200 excluding VAT for the CERTA label and €1,750 excluding VAT for the CERTA Green label. It is payable at the beginning of the certification process, accessible from December 2022. In addition to these prices, there is a fee of €60 excluding VAT per additional point of sale.
This amount covers the administrative service linked to the management of the file, the personalised coaching to reach the "partner" level of Travelife, the communication tools and the realisation of the e-learnings specially designed for the CERTA 2023-2024. For CERTA GREEN "partner", the costs related to the follow-up of the TRAVELIFE "partner" audit are also included.
