Under the fuTOURiSME project, our consortium has completed an important milestone: a comprehensive mapping of the sustainability systems most relevant for tourism SMEs across Europe. As the project partner representing Germany, mascontour contributed to the collection, analysis and structuring of national sustainability schemes.
This research covers six countries – Greece, Spain, Cyprus, France, Germany and Italy – and brings together international certificates, national labels, territorial initiatives and sector‑specific standards used by tourism businesses across Europe.
What’s now available online?
1.European Consolidated Research Report
A cross-country synthesis offering:
- an overview of 80+ sustainability systems identified across the partner countries,
- key trends shaping the sustainability certification landscape,
- a comparison of environmental, social, economic and integrated systems,
- and the common methodology applied by all research teams.
2. National Reports & Certification Fiches
Each partner country produced:
- a national executive summary,
- and detailed fiches with information on governance, scope, audit requirements, applicability, and links to EU/international frameworks.
All national documents—including Germany’s—are publicly accessible for anyone wishing to explore sustainability schemes in more depth.
3. Guidelines for Tourism SMEs
User‑friendly guidelines help small tourism businesses to:
- understand existing sustainability systems,
- identify the most suitable one for their needs,
- prepare for audits and data collection,
- integrate sustainability into day‑to‑day operations,
- and communicate their efforts effectively.
These guidelines will be complemented by training sessions and coaching activities later in the project.
Why this matters for tourism SMEs
Sustainability systems can help tourism SMEs to:
- improve environmental and social impact,
- reduce operational costs through smarter resource use,
- prepare for future EU requirements,
- increase visibility on booking platforms,
- and strengthen credibility with today’s responsible travellers.
This research forms the basis for the next steps in the project, including the development of the fuTOURiSME Self‑Assessment Tool and the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit.
Next Steps
- Development of training modules and SME coaching
- Creation of the Self‑Assessment Tool
- Publication of the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit
Access the full resources
All materials are available on the fuTOURiSME website. We invite tourism SMEs, destinations, and industry stakeholders to explore the findings and make use of these practical resources.
