Page 27 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

3 Policy Context for Sustainability Transitions

important. Research indicates that when sustainability is embedded in
regulatory frameworks or widely recognised standards, it becomes nor-
malised as an expected component of professional practice rather than
a value-driven choice (Gössling & Buckley, 2016). This normalisation
reduces reliance on individual environmental commitment and miti-
gates competitive disadvantages for early adopters, particularly in mar-
kets characterised by strong price competition and narrow profit margins.
National and destination-level policy contexts contribute to differ-
entiated sustainability outcomes across regions. Variations in regula-
tory strictness, enforcement capacity, institutional coordination and pol-
icy coherence are associated with differences in sustainability adoption
among accommodation enterprises, even within similar market and en-
vironmental conditions (Bramwell et al., 2017). At the same time, these
studies consistently highlight substantial variation within policy con-
texts, indicating that policy creates enabling environments rather than
deterministic outcomes.
Taken together, existing empirical research supports the view that sus-
tainability transitions in the accommodation sector are policy-mediated
processes shaped by the interaction of contextual conditions, organisa-
tional capabilities and behavioural responses. Policy frameworks do not
replace managerial responsibility, but structure the space within which
responsibility is exercised. Effective policy environments align environ-
mental, social, and economic objectives, reduce interpretive ambiguity,
enhance organisational capacity and stabilise expectations across the sec-
tor.

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