The role of entrepreneurship’s economic adaptation to the international environment towards tourism and sustainable development of disadvantaged rural areas

The current study addresses the role that entrepreneurship can play in tourism development and sustainable economic growth in the most economically underprivileged rural regions. Rural economies face all the challenges discussed above, compounded by poor infrastructure and insufficient access to capital and serious out-migration. Here, tourism entrepreneurship is one of the main hopes for economic rejuvenation based on the utilization of rich local natural and cultural resources by setting up businesses that attract visitors, stimulate the job creation, and support regional heritage conservation (Mosiiuk et al., 2023; Mpofu, 2024). This paper will draw from empirical studies and theoretical perspectives on how rural tourism initiatives by entrepreneurs can be supported or become a driver of sustainable development in the context of finding a balance among economic growth, environmental concern, and social equity. Among others, the following questions will be explored: what effect entrepreneurship has on rural tourism sustainability, challenges and opportunities faced by rural entrepreneurs, and what role policy plays in facilitating tourism-based entrepreneurship. The findings show how entrepreneurship’s economic adaptation can make a difference in disadvantaged rural areas and put forward recommendations for effective policy interventions that may contribute to the development of sustainable tourism, centered on and focused on local communities.