What makes tourism an attractive industry for new minority entrepreneurs: results from an exploratory qualitative study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the factors that make tourism a particularly attractive industry for new minority entrepreneurs. Moreover, the paper aims to consider the interrelationships of this occupational strategy with the establishment of relations of new minorities with the rest of society. Design/methodology/approach – A theory building qualitative approach was followed. Data were gathered by conducting five semi‐structured interviews in the Alpine tourism regions of Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino. A GABEK analysis was performed. Findings – The findings suggest that the tourism sector is suitable for new minority entrepreneurship because of the relatively low entry barriers and because it values the competitive strengths of new minority members (international ties and trans‐cultural skills). Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in its contribution to understanding better the reasons for new minority members to become entrepreneurs in tourism, considering also the socio‐cultural implications of this professional development. Particularly, the paper adds to the existing literature by showing that tourism is not only attractive because of a relatively easy entry but also because its key success factors suit the human capital of new minorities well.