Page 143 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

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Discussion

The findings of this study are situated within a period of accelerated
transformation of the European tourism system, shaped by the Euro-
pean Green Deal, the eu TransitionPathway forTourism,and the grow-
ing institutionalisation of sustainability through regulatory, financial, and
reporting frameworks. Within this evolving landscape, accommodation
providers are increasingly expected not only to engage in sustainable
practices, but to demonstrate their implementation through structured
and verifiable management systems. iso 21401 represents one such mech-
anism, translating sustainability principles into operational requirements
that integrate environmental, social, and economic objectives.
At the same time, the transition towards standardised sustainability
management remains uneven across the European accommodation sec-
tor, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises that domi-
nate Mediterranean destinations. The results presented in this book pro-
vide clear empirical evidence that sustainability engagement and formal
standard adoption are not synonymous. While sustainability awareness
and basic practice adoption are widespread, progression towards iso
21401-aligned management systems remains selective and contingent
on organisational feasibility. This divergence reflects a broader tension
within the eu sustainable transition, where policy ambition often out-
paces implementation capacity at the firm level. Against this background,
the discussion integrates insights from iso 21401 readiness, adoption bar-
riers, adoption needs, and value-behaviour associations to explain how
and why sustainability transitions unfold unevenly across Mediterranean
accommodation providers.
Analysis of iso 21401 readiness levels demonstrates that many accom-
modation providers are partially prepared for standard adoption, yet fall
short of full readiness. Strengths are observed in areas related to exist-
ing sustainability practices and general organisational awareness, while
weaknesses emerge in domains requiring formalisation, monitoring, and
documentation. This pattern suggests that readiness is not constrained
by lack of intent, but by the gap between informal sustainability engage-
ment and the procedural requirements of a formal management standard.
Many organisations operate in a transitional space, where sustainability

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