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In total these enterprises are predominantly family owned and managed with low numbers of employees; as such they are mainly micro-enterprises. This is significant on two counts; first it establishes that their profile correlates with the wider statistics that tourism enterprises are mainly small or micro-businesses, and second, that the data gained through the research is more widely applicable in that it is far more representative of the tourism sector than research findings based on international and national businesses, predominantly in the hotel sector. Even so, there is some variance between the data sets. The audits of 2011 given the composition of the sample and comparative size of the enterprises are not that representative of the sector as a whole, which does include a higher proportion of medium sized enterprises, larger hotels based on room numbers, and those that are part of a company group. This sample is thus a little more representative of the small share in total tourism supply accorded to medium sized enterprises, mainly the national and international companies. The data on these enterprises may therefore reveal comparable differences with Stage 1 and Stage 2; such as it is often found in studies and examples that it is the major companies which are apparently addressing their EP, adopting EM and more broadly CSR related practices. If this is the case such differences will become apparent in the following chapters as quite possibly will the validity of the argument propounded by the WTTC et al. (2002) that a major barrier to progress in sustainable development is the multitude of SMEs that numerically dominate supply and, this in part at least, accounts for the lack of accountability of both the private and the public sector for tourism development.

The diversity to be found in tourism supply in any popular destination is well represented by these enterprises, ranging from a farmhouse BB operation of two rooms to a 40-bedroom 5-star hotel to a small attraction receiving less than 10,000 visitors per annum. Further, within any one category there is potential for segmentation based on capacity or turnover or type of locality and also reason for ownership. This in itself brings into question the efficacy of policies and initiatives directed at tourism enterprises per se, policies which all too often appear to see tourism as some form of homogenous activity.

Employment on the part of most enterprises is clearly limited but when collated for any popular tourist destination will be substantial. This is invaluable to any locale where there has been a continuing decline in more traditional opportunities for work such as in rural areas wherein the traditional mainstays of the economy, such as farming, have declined. However, continued tourism development and expansion over time in rural or coastal areas will lead to employment outstripping the area’s labour supply and the importation of labour. The danger here is the impact if the area’s popularity starts and continues to decline. This can lead to substantial socio-economic problems as has and continues to be evident in many of the cold-water resorts of the past century. Thus it is all the more important that these enterprises seek to support and promote interrelationships with other aspects of the local economy, local enterprises and the community. Even so, in such popular rural locations at some point the continued promotion of tourism by local and/or national government, Area Tourists Boards and Destination Management Organizations (invariably largely funded by the taxpayers) on the basis that this will generate local employment becomes highly questionable. Conversely, if tourist demand begins to decline and continues to do so then the impact on employment will be dramatic.

A weakness of professional associations involved in tourism is that these all too often comprise the major players in the market – as well illustrated by the comparatively recently established government’s Tourism Advisory Group in the UK which comprises members from Arora International Hotels, Eurostar, Virgin Atlantic, Center Parcs, British Airways and representatives from a range of national tourist organizations. Such a grouping bears little resemblance to the profile of enterprises involved in the supply of tourism. Further, the representatives involved may have no experience of working in those enterprises which constitute over 90% of tourism supply and thus have no real understanding of those operations at ground level. Therefore they have little place on such a group other than to foster their own vested interests, which predominantly will be of little relevance to the majority of owners and managers.

The fact that few of these enterprises, especially within the 2011 group, noted ‘hard times’ over the previous 5 years trading suggests a positive outlook, which it might be argued was a factor in their participation i.e. poorly performing enterprises were not likely to participate in the study.