Countries all over the world have come to realize the importance of the tourism sector as a vital component of national economy. Tourism authorities are constantly looking for ways to better position their countries as the destination of choice. Countries must benchmark their services against those offered globally and constantly upgrade their services and facilities to match and supersede competition.

For this to happen, tourism authorities must properly classify tourism establishments and ensure that they continue to abide by the requirements of their classification.  Tourists, both local and foreign, must know what level of service to expect from a particular hotel/restaurant according to the establishments classification. On the other hand, entrepreneurs and establishment owners need to know what is expected of them to gain competitive advantage both locally and internationally.