Surviving crisis: Building tourism entrepreneurial resilience as a woman in a sanctions-ravaged destination

Research on gender-related challenges within tourism entrepreneurship is expanding; however, scant attention has been paid to how women entrepreneurs build resilience during sustained periods of politico-economic crisis. This knowledge gap is particularly salient in developing countries, like Iran, which have endured prolonged international sanctions and subsequent economic hardship, where women also contend with the distinct obstacles of a ‘religious theocracy’. Employing social constructionist theory and guided by poststructural feminist lens, this study investigated the lived experiences and mechanisms through which Iranian women tourism entrepreneurs/intrapreneurs build resilience amidst sustained crises. Our findings reveal that sanctions create a gender crisis in Iran, and for Iranian women, entrepreneurship becomes a powerful expression of independence and resistance against both external sanctions and theocratic structures. Introducing the concept of ‘gendered entrepreneurial resilience’, the study challenges assumptions of gender neutrality in entrepreneurial resilience discourse and offers a contextualized theoretical perspective that elevates marginalized voices.