TOURISM ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE FUNCTION OF PROMOTING INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISTENTERPRISES

Tourism is the fastest-growing industry with an increasingly active participation in people's economic and social life. The tourism industry offers numerous opportunities for development in which entrepreneurs recognize the potential chances of developing new ideas and creating innovative products. In such a business environment a new concept of tourism companies appears, known as tourism entrepreneurship. It means a proactive orientation towards monitoring and recognizing new market trends and tourist expectations, to develop innovative tourist products and services. Tourism entrepreneurship provides numerous benefits in the form of developing tourism businesses and creating new jobs. The literature points to the potential of tourism entrepreneurship development, noting that this area is still not sufficiently researched. The paper aims to point out the importance of entrepreneurship development in the tourism industry through the benefits offered by entrepreneurial ventures - the growth of innovation and competitiveness of tourism enterprises. Based on the review of the literature, it can be concluded that the tourism industry offers numerous opportunities to entrepreneurs, due to its dynamic nature and the heterogeneous demands of tourists, which leaves space for the development of innovations. The development of innovations in tourism strengthens the competitive position of tourist companies in the international market.