Page 144 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

7 Discussion

is embedded in daily routines but not yet translated into systematic pro-
cedures, performance indicators, and continuous improvement cycles.
These findings highlight the limits of voluntary diffusion of standards
when readiness is unevenly distributed. Without targeted support, readi-
ness is likely to remain partial and uneven across destinations and firm
types.
The analysis of iso 21401 adoption barriers further clarifies this dy-
namic. The most salient constraints are overwhelmingly contextual rather
than attitudinal. Financial costs, time scarcity, staffing limitations, and
administrative burden consistently emerge as dominant obstacles. These
barriers operate independently of sustainability awareness and constrain
adoption even among organisations that are positively oriented towards
sustainability. The persistence of a gap between commitment and adop-
tion therefore reflects structural misalignment between standard require-
ments and the operational realities of accommodation smes, rather than
resistance or indifference. From a governance perspective, this finding
cautions against policy approaches that rely predominantly on voluntary
uptake or normative appeals, as such approaches risk reinforcing existing
inequalities between organisations with different resource endowments.
Insights into adoption needs provide a complementary perspective by
identifying the conditions under which iso 21401 adoption becomes fea-
sible. Across countries, respondents prioritise enabling actions that re-
duce organisational burden, enhance procedural clarity, and strengthen
internal capacity. External staff support, simplified documentation, tai-
lored indicators, financial assistance, and guided implementation path-
ways are among the most frequently identified needs. These enabling
conditions directly counteract the contextual and capability constraints
identified in the barrier analysis, indicating that accommodation provid-
ersare notseeking persuasion, butpractical supportthatlowersthe effort
threshold required to engage in formal sustainability management.
The prominence of regulatory and financial enabling conditions fur-
ther suggests that iso 21401 adoption is perceived not merely as an indi-
vidual managerial choice, but as part of a system-level transition requir-
ing institutional alignment. This reinforces the role of policy instruments,
funding mechanisms, and standard design in shaping both the pace and
inclusiveness of sustainability transitions in tourism. When considered
together, barriers and needs exhibit a striking symmetry. Constraints re-
lated to costs, staffing, time, administrative burden, and procedural com-
plexity are directly mirrored by demands for financial support, external

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