Page 155 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

8.3 Tourism Ecosystem for Sustainable Transition

green public procurement and public incentive
structures
Green Public Procurement (gpp) is increasingly recognised as a pow-
erful tool for steering markets toward sustainability. Public authorities,
tourism boards, and publicly funded events can incorporate iso 21401
requirements into procurement criteria for accommodation services.
When public bodies procure accommodation services for events, del-
egations, or educational programmes, they can prioritise establishments
that:
• are iso 21401-certified,
• have completed the mast Self-Evaluation Tool,
• demonstrate high sustainability performance.
This approach generates market demand and increases the perceived
economic value of certification.
Integrating iso 21401 into gpp frameworks:
• Creates consistent sustainability criteria across territories.
• Reduces uncertainty for smes by signalling long-term policy com-
mitment.
• Fosters equal competition by establishing transparent standards.
• Stimulates supply-side investments in sustainability improvements.
Governments can strengthen regulatory pathways by linking gpp
with:
• vat reductions.
• Investment subsidies.
• Preferential financing conditions.
• Recognition schemes.
Integrated incentive systems amplify behavioural change and improve
adoption rates enhancing the impact on the whole sector.

8.3 Tourism Ecosystem for Sustainable Transition
Sustainability transitions depend not only on the capacity of individ-
ual enterprises but on the functionality of their surrounding ecosystems.
smes thrive when embedded in environments characterised by trust,
cooperation, knowledge exchange, and shared goals. The following part
identifies the key stakeholders and their role for strengthening the ecosys-
tem. Industry clusters, associations, public authorities and civil society
actors are crucial intermediaries for:

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