Social Entrepreneurship and Tourism

The world is in turbulence. Shocks to its economic, social and environmental systems are increasingly frequent. As we seek to understand and predict these, we must also strive to create new and different systems that address disturbing problems such as human rights, social justice, economic imbalances and inequalities, environmental degradation and climate change. Governments have not been able to address many of society’s problems due to lack of resources, lack of political will, short election cycles, and warring ideologies as one regime replaces another contributing to a breakdown of civil society (Kickul & Lyons, 2012). Tourism exists within this turbulent world, and the call for more sustainable, resilient and responsible tourism development is getting louder. Tourism researchers are working to address tourism’s impact on destinations, and tourism’s place in the world of the future. If tourism is to thrive in the future, a more agile, responsive and forwardlooking industry is necessary to help society move through these profound changes. We must also urgently consider whether tourism can continue as an end unto itself, or whether it can realize its potential as a force for good by contributing to conscious social, economic and environmental development.