Green Horizons: Unveiling the Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Tourism SMEs : A Systematic Literature Review

Tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital to local economies and destination competitiveness, yet they increasingly face expectations to operate in environmentally responsible ways. This article consolidates evidence on sustainability and environmental considerations in tourism SMEs and summarizes how the research field has developed across contexts. Using PRISMA as the review protocol, Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025 were screened and 51 articles were included in the synthesis. The thematic results indicate recurring clusters focused on environmentally oriented innovation and technology adoption, institutional and stakeholder pressures influencing managerial decisions, and sustainable business model approaches linked to performance and resilience. Context also matters. Studies from developing economies commonly emphasize constraints, adaptation, and recovery pathways, whereas studies from developed economies more frequently examine strategic innovation, more structured sustainability implementation, and business model strengthening. The review offers an integrated map of the literature, identifies priority gaps for future research, and outlines implications for managerial support and policy design aimed at strengthening sustainable tourism SME development.