Barriers and enablers to eco-certification in Malta’s SME hotel sector

Abstract

The steep increase in tourism experienced in the Maltese islands in recent years has been accompanied by a number of environmental pressures and consequences, therefore emphasising the important position that the hospitality industry plays in safeguarding the environment. Eco-certification was introduced as a way to structurally guide hotel managers into making their facility as sustainable as possible, offering both environmental and financial benefits. However, the implementation of this certification amongst small and medium sized hotels in Malta is not so common. This study aims to assess the awareness, and the perceived value and impact of eco-certification from the perspective of hotel managers in Malta, as well as to recommend any suggestions to improve the certification’s uptake. Following a series of semi-structured interviews with hotel managers and other relevant representatives, various barriers were identified, namely: fragmented information, perceived ineffectiveness, resistance to change, operational and administrative burden and financial constraints, all of which hinder to various degrees, the uptake of eco-certification amongst SME hotels in Malta. Furthermore, a number of enabling factors also emerged from the interviews, including : simplified procedures, financial incentives, perceived profitability and market appeal, and perceived benefits. Following the analysis of these main themes using NVivo® software, the following suggestions aiming to increase the uptake of eco-certification amongst SME hotels emerged: policy based approaches, such as setting certain environmental standards or requirements for SME hotels, improved guidance in order to increase knowledge and awareness on the topic, and support structures & SME tailored schemes in order to provide financial aid to the smaller hotels who are currently unable to pursue the certification due to monetary constraints.