Page 26 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

3 Policy Context for Sustainability Transitions

Figure 3.1
mast Consortium
Meeting at smoc,
Sarajevo
(photo by Jana
Čakardžić)

often more effective in stabilising environmentally significant behaviour
than approaches relying solely on information provision or voluntary
motivation (Stern, 2000). Tourism studies provide empirical support for
this mechanism. Research on sustainability governance in accommoda-
tion and protected destinations demonstrates that where policy signals
are clear, coherent and consistently applied, sustainability practices are
more likely to become institutionalised as routine management activi-
ties rather than discretionary initiatives (Font et al., 2016; Bramwell &
Lane, 2013). In contrast, fragmented policy frameworks and overlapping
regulatory requirements tend to increase uncertainty and administrative
burden, reinforcing informal, incremental approaches to sustainability
rather than systematic implementation (Halkos & Tzeremes, 2013; Ruha-
nen etal.,2019).
Policy also shapes sustainability outcomes by influencing organisa-
tional capabilities. Financial incentives, technical assistance programmes,
training initiatives and simplified standards can enhance the ability of
accommodation enterprises, particularly smes, to adopt structured sus-
tainability practices. Empirical studies show that access to targeted sup-
port mechanisms significantly increases the likelihood that accommoda-
tion providers invest in energy efficiency, adopt environmental manage-
ment systems and engage with sustainability standards (Hjalager, 2010;
Alonso-Almeida et al., 2017). In the absence of such support, sustainabil-
ity efforts often remain limited to low-cost, easily reversible actions.
The attitudinal effects of policy operate more indirectly but remain

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