Place, community and tourism entrepreneurship

Place and community play an integral role in the development of tourism and tourism enterprises. Similarly, tourism and tourism entrepreneurship shape the creation of places and the development of host communities. Drawing on concepts of economic and human geography and previous research on community-centric tourism entrepreneurship, this chapter conceptualizes the interrelationships between place, community, and tourism entrepreneurship. This chapter proposes a conceptual model that illustrates the role of place-making within the interplay of factors in community-centric tourism entrepreneurial phenomena. The conceptual model suggests that tourism entrepreneurs who have established relationships with and attachment to a place and/or host community are more likely to form community-centric tourism enterprises that contribute to place-making and commit to community development. This chapter outlines avenues for future research that could enhance our understanding of the interrelationships between place, community, and tourism entrepreneurship.