Project Background and Rationale:

While extensive top-down sustainable tourism policies have been formulated at the EU and national levels, a significant research gap exists in understanding the "bottom-up" implementation and strategic view of these policies within Small and Medium Tourist Enterprises (SMTEs). It is often unclear to what extent SMTEs perceive sustainability investments as a regulatory burden versus a driver of innovation and competitiveness.

Research Objective:

The primary objective of the MINI-MAXI project is to address this gap. The guiding research question is: "Understanding the barriers and stimuli for investments and implementing activities to foster environmental, social, and governance (ESG) transformation in SMTEs relative to the SMTE's competitiveness."

Methodology:

The project's methodology is structured in three main phases, involving collaboration between all partner institutions:
1. Strategy Document Analysis: Researchers will first conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing national and European-level sustainable tourism strategies, policies, and support mechanisms. This will map the official 'top-down' framework available to SMTEs. (Lead: UP FTŠ)
2. Qualitative Interviews: Following the document analysis, in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews (the current phase) will be conducted with SMTE owners and managers across Europe. This 'bottom-up' research will identify the real-world barriers, stimuli, and on-the-ground practices (Lead: UM FT).
3. Quantitative Survey: The qualitative findings from both the document analysis and the interviews will be used to develop a large-scale quantitative questionnaire. This survey will be distributed to a wide sample of European SMTEs to statistically validate the findings and identify broader trends (Lead: SEBLU).

Invitation to Participate:

A cohort of European SMTEs is currently being contacted by the project's research team to participate in the qualitative interview phase of this research. These interviews are strictly confidential and for academic purposes.

Expected Outcomes:

The project will result in a comprehensive report detailing the primary obstacles (financial, regulatory, knowledge-based) and motivators (market demand, personal values, cost-saving) for sustainability adoption. Findings will be used to provide data-driven recommendations for policymakers and support resources for SMTEs to help leverage sustainability as a competitive tool.

Contact:

For more information about the project or to inquire about participation, please contact: marjetka.rangus@um.si