Synergising Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Under Sustainable Tourism Framework: An Empirical Study

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Abstract
Sustainable tourism has become a growing area of interest globally, particularly in the post‐pandemic era. This study examines the impact of synergising Social Innovation (SI) and Social Entrepreneurship (SE) on Sustainable Development (SD) within the tourism domain. Grounded in a pragmatist research philosophy, the study employs a conceptual framework to connect SI and SE to SD. The originality of this research lies in its empirically validated three‐tier conceptual framework that connects innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability in tourism; a perspective that remains underexplored in developing nations. For empirical validation, we use Structural Equation Modelling to analyse primary data collected from 298 stakeholders, including tour operators, community members, and government officials, in the cultural heritage town of Bishnupur, India. The results reveal that SI significantly contributes to both SE and SD, while SE has a moderate, positive effect on SD. These findings highlight the synergistic role of SI, SE, and SD in advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable tourism under heritage contexts. The study directs practical implications for policymakers, tourism managers, and community actors, advocating integrated, bottom‐up approaches to sustainable tourism and adding substantial value to this area of research.
Funding Information
  • Indian Council of Social Science Research (File 02/28/2022‐23/Rp/Mj Dated: 9th March 2023)

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