fuTOURiSME WP5: Sustainability Systems Research Now Available Online

Mapping the Sustainability Landscape for Tourism SMEs Across Europe

Under Work Package 5 of the fuTOURiSME project, all partners have completed an extensive research and compilation exercise to identify the sustainability systems most relevant for tourism SMEs in Europe. The work covers six partner countries — Greece, Spain, Cyprus, France, Germany and Italy — and includes internationally recognised certifications, labels and standards, as well as national, territorial and sector-specific schemes.

We are pleased to announce that the full set of materials produced under Task 5.1 – Research and collection of existing sustainability systems and development of guidelines is now publicly available on the fuTOURiSME website.

These resources are designed to support tourism SMEs in better understanding the sustainability systems landscape and in preparing their own sustainability journey in a structured and informed way.

What has been published?

1. Consolidated Research Report (European synthesis)

A cross-country overview presenting:

• a comprehensive mapping of more than 80 sustainability systems identified across the partner countries,

• key trends and insights shaping the sustainability certification landscape for tourism SMEs,

• a comparative analysis of environmental, social, economic and integrated systems,

• and the methodological framework applied consistently by all partners.

This synthesis brings together the findings of all national research teams and establishes the knowledge base for the next activities under WP5.

2. National reports and certification fiches

Each partner country has produced:

• a national executive summary, and

• detailed fiches for each sustainability system mapped at national level.

The fiches provide structured information on governance models, scope, sustainability dimensions, audit and verification requirements, sector applicability, usability, and alignment with EU or international frameworks.

All national documents are now accessible online, ensuring transparency and enabling deeper exploration of country-specific contexts.

3. Guidelines for tourism SMEs

To support small businesses directly, fuTOURiSME has developed practical, step-by-step Guidelines for Tourism SMEs, tailored to help them:

• understand what sustainability systems exist,

• identify those most suitable for their activity,

• prepare for audits and data collection,

• integrate sustainability practices into daily operations,

• and communicate their sustainability efforts effectively.

These guidelines will be further complemented by capacity-building activities and coaching sessions planned in the upcoming WP5 tasks.

Why this work matters

Sustainability systems are a powerful tool for tourism SMEs. When applied in a structured way, they can help businesses to:

• improve environmental and social performance,

• optimise resource use and reduce operational costs,

• prepare for emerging EU sustainability requirements (e.g. CSRD-related expectations),

• increase visibility on booking platforms and tourism channels,

• and build credibility with travellers seeking responsible and authentic experiences.

Task 5.1 provides the essential knowledge base that will feed into the development of the Self-Assessment Tool and the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit later in the project.

Next steps in WP5

Building on the research now available online, WP5 will continue with:

• the development of training modules and coaching sessions for tourism SMEs,

• the creation of the fuTOURiSME Self-Assessment Tool (Task 5.3),

• and the publication of the final Sustainable Tourism Toolkit (Month 35).

Access the resources

All materials are available on the fuTOURiSME website.

We invite tourism SMEs, destinations, industry stakeholders and the wider tourism community to explore the findings and make use of these resources.