WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON DETERMINANTS, CHALLENGES, AND DYNAMICS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
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Abstract
The subject of women's entrepreneurship in the tourism sector has attracted increasing academic interest due to its contribution to economic development, social inclusion and territorial revitalisation. In a variety of geographic contexts, women are involved in the establishment and administration of initiatives related to tourism services, particularly in rural areas and emerging destinations where tourism serves as a means for economic diversification and the enhancement of local development. However, the scientific knowledge of this phenomenon is dispersed across different disciplinary approaches and empirical contexts, thus hindering an integrated understanding of the entrepreneurial dynamics that characterise women's participation in the sector. In order to organise and systematise the available evidence, this study presents a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The study utilised a structured procedure for identifying, selecting, and analysing research indexed in academic databases. The resulting synthesis demonstrates that female entrepreneurship in tourism can be interpreted as a process shaped by the interaction between institutional conditions, social dynamics, and entrepreneurial capabilities. This highlights its contribution to local development and its potential to promote more inclusive and sustainable tourism models. Furthermore, the synthesis offers an analytical framework that guides future research and supports the design of policies and strategies aimed at strengthening women's economic participation in the tourism sector.
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