Page 98 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

6Analysis

while relevant practices may exist in practice, they are not consistently
embedded within formal structures that meet the full expectations of the
iso standard.
Requirements related to stakeholder engagement, communication,
and continuous improvement also show more limited alignment. This
indicates that sustainability related activities in Slovenian accommoda-
tion providers are often implemented in a fragmented or practice-based
manner, rather than as part of an integrated management system that
explicitly links environmental, social, and organisational objectives.
Overall, Table 6.22 suggests that iso 21401 alignment in Slovenia is
characterised by a solid operational foundation combined with weaker
alignment in areas requiring formalisation, documentation, and coordi-
nated management. This pattern indicates that the main gap between cur-
rent practice and full iso 21401 alignment lies not in the absence of sus-
tainability actions, but in the limited integration of these actions into a
comprehensive and systematically managed sustainability framework.
Table 6.23 presents the level of alignment of Italian accommodation
providers with the requirements of the iso 21401 standard. Alignment
is interpreted as the extent to which practices, procedures, and organi-
sational arrangements corresponding to iso 21401 requirements are al-
ready implemented, regardless of whether formal certification has been
obtained.
The results indicate moderate levels of alignment across iso 21401
requirements. Alignment is relatively stronger for requirements related
to basic environmental management and operational practices, such as
waste management and measures aimed at improving resource efficiency.
These elements reflect areas where sustainability practices are more com-
monly integrated into everyday operations and therefore show higher lev-
els of reported alignment. Lower levels of alignment are observed for
requirements that rely on formalised management systems and struc-
tured organisational processes. These include documented sustainabil-
ity policies, systematic planning and monitoring procedures, and clearly
defined roles and responsibilities for sustainability management. The re-
ported alignment levels suggest that while relevant practices may exist
within Italian accommodation providers, they are not consistently em-
bedded within formal management frameworks that fully correspond
to iso 21401 expectations. Requirements related to stakeholder engage-
ment, communication, and continuous improvement also show limited
alignment. This indicates that sustainability related activities are often

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