Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Tourism : Rescuing Authenticity

Authenticity is an integral motivator behind the success of many tourist destinations and experiences. This notion is often formulated as a contrast to other types of tourist experiences, such as mass tourism, which erodes authenticity and poses challenges for environmental sustainability. We argue that local entrepreneurship is uniquely positioned to provide positive and social environmental impacts, particularly when implemented in itinerary-based experiences. We identify the revitalization of past models – such as the Camino de Santiago – as a paradigmatic basis for a set of new, more distributive, and sustainable tourism strategies