Reconfiguring the tourism venture ecosystem: structural barriers, digital transformation, and policy pathways

This study examines South Korea’s tourism venture support system through the lens of the entrepreneurial ecosystem framework. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 17 entrepreneurs, this study uncovers the strengths and shortcomings of existing policies and proposes strategic directions for their enhancement and future development. Government-led programs have successfully provided early-stage capital, business model development, and stage-specific support. However, structural weaknesses persist, including excessive entry barriers, rigid eligibility criteria, insufficient mentoring and networking opportunities, and an overemphasis on short-term key performance indicators. These limitations hinder long-term scalability, cross-industry convergence, and ecosystem resilience. The findings highlight the need for integrative reforms that promote interdisciplinary collaboration, establish digital transformation standards, and align evaluation metrics with the realities of the tourism sector. Theoretically, this study highlights resilience and cross-industry convergence as key drivers of entrepreneurial sustainability while practically urging legal reform, private-sector capacity building, and long-term global support to enhance tourism venture competitiveness.