EDITORIAL
Tourism Entrepreneurship Research
The emergence and evolution of tourism entrepreneurship as an academic field of study
can be dated back some three decades (see for example, Pickering et al., 1971; Kibedi,
1979; Stallibras, 1980; Cohen, 1989; Williams et al., 1989). They portrayed entrepreneurship
as a positive attribute, and a possible panacea to solve wide ranges of social, economic
and political issues. The dominant disciplinary lens was that of economics (Rodenberg,
1980) and economic geography (Shaw and Williams, 1998). Since then the field has
been populated by the research of academics from a wide variety of disciplines, looking
beyond the economic to incorporate the social milieu in which entrepreneurs are
embedded (Skokic and Morrison, 2010). The range of disciplines includes sociology,
anthropology, psychology, economics and geography, alongside related fields of study
such as rural sociology, entrepreneurship, tourism, gender and family studies, small,
micro and medium-size enterprises, regional development and sustainability (Morrison
et al., 2010). All are concerned with the human beings who are motivated within their
own reference and value frame set to act as entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs socially
construct their endeavours on a “world” stage, observed by economists, politicians, and
sociologists working from their own reference and value frame set. Academics research
the lives, values, meanings, cultures and consequences of ordinary people who are at
the same time extraordinary within the context of their micro-worlds (Morrison et al.,
1999).
In 2011 the actions of these tourism entrepreneurs are no less remarkable and significant
than they have been over history. The coming together of an international grouping of academics,
at the Tourism Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by the NeXt Research Centre
at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada in April 2010 provided a valuable occasion
to reflect on understanding and knowledge of this multi-faceted, complex and entrancingly
human phenomenon. Furthermore, a significant outcome has been the selection of full and
research note papers for inclusion in this special issue through a process of double-blind
peer review, revision, re-evaluation and final acceptance. In combination they provide a
powerful illustration of the multiple worlds, voices and truths that compose what is
known currently of tourism entrepreneurship, and tease curiosity as to what remains concealed.
They provide insight into the work of a small group of academics who are committed
to exploring the real worlds, voices and truths of tourism entrepreneurs. This is
reflective of a growing movement that subscribes to the view that this is critical to increasing
the knowledge base about factors that contribute to entrepreneurial behaviour.
It is argued here that the central tenet of the quest for more comprehensive, accurate and
valid research findings regarding tourism entrepreneurship is the aspect of criticality in our
evaluation of what knowledge has been created to date. For example, Morrison et al.
(1999) authored a text entitled Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality, Tourism and
Leisure Industries which represented the first contribution of its kind to the academic
field. When reviewed through 2011 eyes and minds it is apparent that content and literature
Tourism Planning & Development
Vol. 8, No. 2, 115– 119, May 2011
ISSN 2156-8316 Print; ISSN 2156-8324 Online/11/020115–5 # 2011 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/21568316.2011.573910
reviewed can be criticised as being strongly UK-centric, with some North American influence.
It is devoid of reference to, for example, regional and international perspectives,
including former socialist and developing countries, the dynamics of entrepreneurship
within particular sections of society such as ethnic groups, recognition of differences in
entrepreneurial behaviour due to characteristics of culture, gender, age, etc., negative
and/or positive social impacts of entrepreneurship, and identification of the potential
value of social, as opposed to economic-driven, entrepreneurship. A further example,
comes from Page and Connell (2008) who profess that much of the success in the
tourism business field is dependent on individual entrepreneurs, their vision and business
acumen. This economics influenced depiction of tourism entrepreneurship neglects to consider
the many guises and characteristics of entrepreneurs that exist underneath the
umbrella term, for example social, community, youth, co-preneur, family, lifestyle
(Morrison, 2006). It is not to suggest that the authors referred to are wrong, it is illustrative
of the state of knowledge and values at a particular time, and reflective of different
disciplinary stand points. The danger is that it remains as unquestioned, unchallenged conventional
wisdom, accepted and repeated out of tradition, not accommodating changes in
society and enhanced knowledge levels. Thus, a level of scepticism of conventional
wisdom is needed and healthy and just as Tribe (2010) purports that the tourism field is
at a crossroads for development and ripe for critical review, such is the case also for
tourism entrepreneurship in order to make meaningful advancements. Further support
for this move is provided within the generic field of entrepreneurship from Blackburn
and Kovalainen (2008, p. 141) who propose that: “It is important to assess the production
of knowledge and knowledge itself. How the knowledge is achieved, what knowledge—
and research—is for, what are the ideologies lurking behind the knowledge produced by
research, are all crucial questions.” The quotation is particularly meaningful as they advocate
for the deconstruction of existing knowledge, informed by scientific research which is
influenced by indoctrinated myths, politics, traditions and conventional wisdoms, in an
effort to create more “truthful” knowledge. The goal is to achieve more accurate representations,
understanding and knowledge of the multiple realities, cultures and contexts in
which entrepreneurs actually live and operate in general, as well as within the context
of tourism. Thus, it is argued that researchers, irrespective of disciplinary “home”, are
required to start from a realisation of the multiplicity of worlds, voices and truths that
configure tourism entrepreneurship and resultant knowledge.
When the world of tourism entrepreneurship is investigated, different interpretations of
world conditions are revealed, demonstrating the existence of multiple, complex microworlds.
For example, within developed country contexts, entrance into tourism entrepreneurship
represents a freedom of choice for employees displaced from declining industries
(Vaugeois and Rollins, 2007), benign to indigenous communities, bringing local economic
benefits, and sustainable tourism development (Irvine and Anderson, 2004), and valuable
contributions, contributing to the vitality of place and experience within tourism destinations
(Morrison, 2006). This is in contrast to developing country contexts where
locals are driven by desperate economic necessity, selling what ever the tourist wants,
likened to what sociologists define in terms of prostitution (Dahles, 2002), and through
the attraction of migrant investors who have different characteristics from those in the
local population, may impact stressfully on communities (Dahles and Bras, 1999;
Kamsma and Bras, 2002). These illustrative examples, warn researchers of the danger
of “world myopia”, and the need for criticality. Key questions to be asked include:
. Are all tourism entrepreneurs regarded as beneficial transformational agents in all world
contexts and economies?
116 Editorial
. What is the interplay of embedded economic, social and cultural micro-world contexts
and how are they integrated into research methodologies?
. If the world is understood primarily through the “voices” of UK and North American
derived knowledge, how does this influence or distort the “truth”?
With regard to the inclusion of different voices, when the call for papers went out for
this international conference and special issue, the organiser did not anticipate such a
strong response from researchers in developing countries. Perspectives and “voices”
from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the Philippines and India were represented by professors
and doctoral students indigenous to those regions as well as from researchers
from developed countries seeking to give “voices” and “representations” to entrepreneurs
and entrepreneurship in these locations. The selected papers in this special issue have contexts
in Africa and Asia and in transitional economies in eastern Europe as well as in
developed world settings in Ireland and the UK. The majority of papers are qualitative,
which is refreshing as they are appropriate for revealing “in depth” the values, meanings
and attitudes that influence entrepreneurial behaviours. The motivations and decision
making associated with profit making, innovation, family, lifestyle, community, society,
networking and business models are some of the many dimensions explored in these
papers. All papers reveal the importance of the cultural, industrial and environmental
context and setting in understanding tourism entrepreneurship processes.
The first paper, by Christopher Phelan and Richard Sharpley, is set within the rural agritourism
context in the north of England and focuses on the role of entrepreneurship in the
diversification of farm businesses. Here, farmers are turning to agritourism but lack many
of the fundamental business competencies for success. It is notable that many farmers
involve their families in farm tourism in contrast to findings in some of the other case
studies in this special issue. The paper by Vlatka Skokic and Alison Morrison about
hotel entrepreneurship in Croatia revealed no family involvement, while the study in
Kerala by Jithen