Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Industry: A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Women’s entrepreneurship in the tourism industry plays a vital role in promoting economic growth, advancing gender equality, and encouraging innovation. Female entrepreneurs contribute to the diversification of tourism services, job generation, and the revitalization of local economies. This study employs data from the Web of Science database to examine research on tourism and female entrepreneurship over the past two decades. The primary goals are to explore emerging trends, publishing patterns, and the geographical regions most active in this area of research, as well as to identify the key journals, authors, and keywords shaping the field. The bibliometric analysis uncovers the progression of academic studies and highlights regions with significant research activity. While female entrepreneurship is a driving force for economic development and gender equity in tourism, persistent obstacles, such as limited research in certain areas and barriers to women’s participation, remain. This work underscores the increasing significance of women’s contributions to tourism and offers a framework for future studies and policies aimed at fostering gender equality and sustainable economic development.