Page 108 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

6Analysis

performance in operational environmental requirements and lower re-
ported implementation for requirements related to formalisation, docu-
mentation, and structured management processes. From a cross Mediter-
ranean perspective, Table 6.27 suggests that iso 21401 readiness is shaped
less by the absence of sustainability practices and more by differences in
the degree of organisational integration and formalisation of those prac-
tices. While many accommodation providers demonstrate readiness in
terms of operational actions, fewer are prepared to meet the full scope of
iso 21401 requirements that emphasise management systems, account-
ability, and continuous improvement.
Overall, the table indicates that the Mediterranean accommodation
sector is positioned at an intermediate stage of iso 21401 readiness. The
sustainability status quo is characterised by partial alignment, where op-
erational elements of the standard are relatively well established, but
broader readiness depends on strengthening organisational structures,
management processes, and the systematic integration of sustainability
into decision making. This cross Mediterranean readiness profile high-
lights the importance of capacity building and supportive frameworks
aimed at facilitating the transition from practice-based sustainability to-
wards full standard aligned sustainability management.

iso 21401 adoption barriers
This subsection examines the barriers that limit the adoption of the iso
21401 standard across accommodation providers, interpreted through
Stern’s theory of environmentally significant behaviour. From this per-
spective, the adoption of a sustainability standard represents a form of
environmentally significant organisational behaviour that is shaped not
only by environmental awareness or intentions, but by a combination
of contextual conditions, organisational capacities, and perceived con-
straints. Barriers are therefore understood as factors that increase the
perceived cost, complexity, or feasibility of adopting iso 21401. High rel-
evance of a barrier indicates that it strongly constrains organisational be-
haviour, even in cases where sustainability practices are already present.
Low relevance indicates that a given factor does not substantially in-
fluence adoption decisions. Interpreting barriers in this way allows for
the identification of concrete needs that must be addressed in order to
enable environmentally significant behaviour in the form of iso 21401
adoption.
The following tables present country specific barrier profiles, reveal-

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