The International Tourism Experience Standard
Every visitor judges you on the whole experience. ITEXS gives destinations and tourism organisations one clear standard for all of it, and a BSI certificate that proves it.
ITEXS 2026, certified by BSI
ITEXS does not ask whether you have a policy. It asks whether visitors feel the difference.
Visitors do not separate the welcome from the booking site, the safety briefing, the guide’s story or the queue at the exit. ITEXS covers that whole journey, from the vision behind it to the systems that keep improving it, in 109 clauses.
- ClausesClear requirements
Every clause sets out the Question, the Explanation of why it matters, the Reasoning the assessor applies and the Evidence that counts.
- Core30 core clauses
Safety, emergency readiness, safeguarding, accessibility, data protection, honest marketing, complaints and the protection of heritage and nature must be solid before certification.
- MaturityA maturity picture
Five levels, from Emerging to Exemplary, show how mature each part of the experience is, not just whether you passed.
- AssessmentAssessed with Jasper
ICXI’s own AI assessor guides your self-assessment, gathers evidence and flags gaps before the audit, online and in your language.
Twelve pillars, four quadrants. The whole visit in one orbit.
Vision, Welcome, Experience and Improve describe an excellent visitor experience, from the direction behind it to the systems that keep improving it. Results come back by clause, pillar and quadrant.
Leadership, Strategy & Destination Vision
Vision A clear direction for the visitor experience, owned by leadership and shared with partners.
Cultural Authenticity & National Identity
Vision Heritage, culture and local identity presented truthfully and with respect.
Brand Reputation, Marketing & Global Perception
Vision Honest marketing and a reputation built on what visitors actually find.
Visitor Safety, Security & Trust
Welcome Safety, emergency readiness and safeguarding that are solid before anything else.
Accessibility & Inclusive Tourism
Welcome An experience every visitor can reach, understand and enjoy.
Destination Infrastructure & Mobility
Welcome Getting there, getting around and finding the way, made easy.
Visitor Journey Design & Experience Integration
Experience The whole journey designed as one, from the first search to the way home.
Service Excellence & Human Experience
Experience Warm, knowledgeable and reliable people at every moment of contact.
Digital Experience & Travel Technology
Experience Booking, information and digital services that help rather than hinder.
Tourism Workforce Experience & Capability
Improve A skilled, valued workforce that sees how its role shapes the visit.
Environmental Sustainability & Responsible Tourism
Improve Protecting nature, heritage and communities for the visitors who come next.
Visitor Feedback, Experience Data & Continuous Improvement
Improve Listening to visitors, measuring what matters and acting on it.
Two tracks. One standard.
ITEXS is designed for tourism organisations with around 50 or more employees or several sites, and for the bodies that lead destinations.
For the bodies that lead a destination
National tourism authorities, destination management organisations, city and regional tourism bodies, giga-projects, resort zones and heritage districts.
Often with TEEM rolled out across the destination’s small providers.
For the organisations visitors meet
Hotels and resorts, attractions, museums and heritage sites, theme and leisure parks, tour operators and DMCs, airports, cruise terminals, rail and coach operators, event venues, and tourism food and retail.
They remember the whole journey. And they share it.
ITEXS 2026 · the International Tourism Experience Standard
From self-assessment to a BSI certificate.
ICXI writes and maintains the standard. BSI alone decides certification. Your ICXI partner supports you through readiness.
- Scope
Agree your track, the sites and services in scope, and your timetable with your ICXI partner.
- Self-assessment
Work through the clauses on Jasper, upload evidence and see your first results.
- Readiness
Close the gaps that matter most, with ICXI Academy training where needed.
- BSI audit
BSI auditors verify your evidence on site, through observation, interviews and visitor-facing checks.
- Certificate
BSI issues your certificate with your recognition level and a full results report.
- Keep improving
Annual surveillance and three-yearly recertification keep the certificate live.
Certified. Advanced. Exemplary. Three levels, set by the audit.
- Level 01ITEXS Certified
Your visitor experience is well managed and consistent across the standard, and every core clause is firmly in place.
- Level 02ITEXS Advanced
Your approach is embedded, measured and improving, and your partners are part of it.
- Level 03ITEXS Exemplary
You are sector-leading, with sustained results that others learn from.
ITEXS complements the GSTC Criteria, ISO 21401, ISO 21902 and ISO 22483. Certification recognises practice; it does not promise results.
Before you begin, the plain answers.
Who certifies ITEXS?
How long does it take?
We already hold ISO or sustainability certificates. Do they count?
We are a small provider. Is ITEXS for us?
One standard for the whole visitor experience.
Start with a self-assessment on Jasper and see where you stand on all twelve pillars.