A Boundary Objects View of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Tourism

Abstract

This paper uses boundary objects theory to advance a novel conceptualization of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) in tourism and address gaps in our understanding of the environments within which physical and virtual elements of EEs interact, change and expand over time. An extensive literature review of select information science and organizational strategy literature is used to identify key characteristics of tourism EEs and situate the concept within a ‘tourism as system’ perspective. The resultant models demonstrate that tourism EEs represent an expanding meso-level experience space made up of actors engaged in multiple types of activities, complemented by an ever-expanding set of interactions, and driven by a variety of entrepreneurial behaviors and technological innovations. Theoretical implications suggest that future research should employ dynamic measurement approaches to understanding and measuring EE performance vis-a-vis the disruptive impact of digital technology. Practical implications for governments, communities, and global tourism organizations include the need for governance systems to expand opportunities for current EE players while encouraging the entry of new players through the creation of new tourism ventures.