Overview
EN ISO 18513:2021 (ISO 18513:2021) - Tourism services - Hotels and other types of tourism accommodation - Vocabulary - is an international/CEN-adopted vocabulary standard that defines terms used across the tourism accommodation sector. The second edition (2021) updates and expands the 2003 edition to provide a single, harmonized list of definitions for accommodation types, room categories, rates, sanitary facilities, food & beverage services and related hospitality facilities. It was prepared by ISO/TC 228 in collaboration with CEN/TC 329 and is published in English, French and German.
Key topics
This standard is a vocabulary (not a prescriptive performance standard). Major technical topics covered include:
- General terms: accommodation, accommodation rating, reception, cleaning, etc.
- Types of accommodation: hotel, motel, hostel, bed & breakfast, aparthotel, serviced apartments, holiday flat/house, homestay, glamping, campsite, caravan, motor home, house boat, mountain refuge, holiday camp.
- Types of room: single, double, suite, studio, apartment, dormitory, multi-bedded rooms.
- Types of rate: (definitions used for categorizing pricing and rate models).
- Sanitary equipment and facilities: terms for bathrooms, toilets, shared vs private facilities.
- Food and beverage services (catering): breakfast service, restaurant, catering facilities.
- Facilities and ancillary services: parking, on-site entertainment, shops, sports and leisure amenities.
- Other related terms and cross-references to facilitate consistent terminology.
Key attributes of the document:
- Consolidates all terms into one clause (Clause 3).
- Contains updated and new terms reflecting modern accommodation types (e.g., glamping, serviced apartments).
- Contains no normative references - its role is to harmonize language, not impose technical specifications.
Applications
EN ISO 18513:2021 is intended to promote clarity and consistency in communication within the tourism sector. Practical uses include:
- Standardizing terminology in hotel classification schemes, consumer information and booking platforms (OTAs).
- Assisting tourism boards, regulators and policymakers when drafting rules or consumer protection documents.
- Supporting hospitality operations, training and documentation (manuscripts, websites, menus, room descriptions).
- Helping travel technology providers and data aggregators map accommodation types and room categories consistently.
- Providing a reference for researchers, consultants and standards developers working on tourism-related standards.
Who would use it
- Hotels, hostels, B&Bs, aparthotels and campsite operators
- Online travel agencies, metasearch engines and property managers
- National tourism organizations, classification bodies and regulators
- Standards writers, consultants and hospitality trainers
Related standards
- ISO/IEC terminological resources (ISO Online Browsing Platform, IEC Electropedia) are referenced for consistent terminology use.
- EN ISO 18513:2021 supersedes EN ISO 18513:2003 and aligns with other tourism service standards developed by ISO/TC 228 and CEN/TC 329.
Keywords: EN ISO 18513:2021, ISO 18513:2021, tourism accommodation vocabulary, hotel terminology, accommodation types, room types, tourism services standard.
