Where Culture Meets Commerce: Entrepreneurial Pathways in Creative Tourism

This project explores how entrepreneurship emerges at the intersection of creativity, culture, and tourism and hospitality. Focusing on emerging ecosystems for the cultural and creative industries, we study how cultural identities are expressed, negotiated, and sustained through entrepreneurial practices.

By engaging with creative entrepreneurs, such as artists, creators, and cultural producers, the project analyses how culture is continuously reshaped and given new expressions through experiences and offerings. The research highlights how cultural and creative work both contributes to and transforms entrepreneurship.

The project also aims to understand the needs, resources, and support structures required to strengthen cultural actors and contribute to more robust and sustainable ecosystems. Through storytelling, research dissemination, and practical tools, the project seeks to support actors within the cultural and creative industries as well as tourism and hospitality in developing long-term, sustainable, and creative businesses.

Particular attention is given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their importance for regional development, especially in rural areas. At the same time, the project highlights the tensions that may arise between artistic integrity and commercial demands.