EntreComp-Based Entrepreneurial Competences and Entrepreneurial Intention Among Tourism and Hospitality Students: PLS-SEM Evidence and Measurement Invariance Across Portugal, Mozambique, and Cabo Verde

Using cross-sectional survey data, this study examines the associations between EntreComp-based entrepreneurial competences and entrepreneurial intention among 368 tourism and hospitality students in Portugal, Mozambique, and Cabo Verde. The model assesses Ideas and Opportunities, Personal Resources, Specific Knowledge, and Into Action as antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intention. We analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling, the Measurement Invariance of Composite Models procedure, and permutation-based multi-group analysis. The model explained 52.0% of the variance in Entrepreneurial Intention. Ideas and Opportunities showed the strongest positive association (β = 0.577, p < 0.001), while Into Action was also positively associated with Entrepreneurial Intention (β = 0.249, p = 0.006). Specific Knowledge showed a small negative conditional association, and Personal Resources showed no statistically significant unique association. The MICOM results indicated partial and non-uniform measurement invariance across country pairs; permutation-based multi-group analysis did not detect statistically significant path differences. The findings point to the value of opportunity recognition and action-oriented learning in tourism and hospitality education, while indicating the need for context-sensitive adaptation and validation of EntreComp-based measures in Lusophone higher education settings.