Exploring entrepreneurship, innovation and tourism development from a sustainable perspective: evidence from Greece

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation and tourism development from a sustainable development perspective. Sustainable innovation leads to sustainable entrepreneurship, and consequently to sustainable tourism development. The paper examines several case studies from Greece and attempts to summarise the most interesting findings in the field of sustainable tourism development. Despite the lack of data regarding sustainable tourism in Greece since the early '00s, recent papers have established the relationship among sustainable tourism, innovation and entrepreneurship. Tourism is the most prominent sector of the Greek economy and its contribution is continually rising, despite the economic crisis that has seriously affects Greece in recent years. The factor that seems to affect most the promotion of sustainable tourism practices is the age of the entrepreneurs. Finally the role of local communities is also crucial since every tourist destination should rely on all dimensions of sustainability in order to be competitive.