Sustaining Accommodation SMEs: Drivers and Pathways of Sustainable Transition in the Mediterranean Tourist Accommodation Sector

This book is situated within this broader context of structural change. It explores the sustainability transition of accommodation enterprises in the Mediterranean by bringing together conceptual foundations, empirical evidence and policy relevant insights. The analysis is grounded in the understanding that sustainability encompasses environmental responsibility, social wellbeing and economic performance, and that these three dimensions are inseparable from the daily decisions made by accommodation managers, employees and guests. The Mediterranean is not a uniform region. Countries differ in policy maturity, institutional frameworks, labour market structures and cultural contexts. Nevertheless, they share common challenges that transcend national borders, including climate vulnerability, resource stress and the need for more balanced forms of development. Comparative perspectives therefore offer valuable opportunities for learning and alignment. International tourism policy literature increasingly stresses the importance of coordinated regional approaches that reduce fragmentation, support shared standards and create conditions for continuous improvement. Sustainable accommodation management should thus be understood as a strategic priority with implications that extend well beyond individual businesses. Destinations that support and encourage sustainable practices protect the resources upon which their appeal depends. They contribute to community wellbeing and economic stability. They build resilience in the face of climate-related risks and shifting market conditions. The Mediterranean accommodation sector has a central role to play. Its choices will shape not only its own competitiveness but also the long-term sustainability of the destinations in which it operates. The preceding discussion establishes that sustainability in Mediterranean tourism is no longer a peripheral concern but a structural condition for long-term viability, resilience and competitiveness. While these challenges manifest at the destination and policy levels, their resolution ultimately depends on how sustainability is understood, interpreted and operationalised within tourism businesses themselves. In this respect, accommodation enterprises occupy a particularly influential position, as their daily decisions simultaneously shape environmental impacts, social outcomes and economic value creation. To meaningfully analyse and support the sustainability transition of the accommodation sector, it is therefore necessary to move from broad policy ambitions to a clear conceptual foundation. This requires clarifying what sustainability means in operational terms, how its different dimensions interact, and how global sustainability objectives translate into concrete practices at the level of accommodation management. The following section addresses this need by outlining the core sustainability concepts, frameworks and policy alignments that underpin the analysis presented in this book