Determinants of Micro-entrepreneurship in Urban Tourist Centres of Sierra Leone and Morocco

Abstract

The growth of tourism affects the low-income segment of the population in African cities through self-employment opportunities in the tourism sector that enable them to increase their income. They can also be the beneficiaries of pro-poor tourism projects. However, they are often viewed as an obstacle to tourism development where clean and modern images are sought. Drawing on a qualitative study of microbusinesses in Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Agadir (Morocco) this chapter uncovers three ideal determinants of micro-entrepreneurship in the urban tourism sector necessary to facilitate pro-poor tourism: an enabling institutional context, entrepreneurial agency of micro-entrepreneurs and development-led tourism policies. We see the role of government in viewing the poor as a partner in development, creating a unique relationship for tourism development. Tourism micro-entrepreneurship can contribute positively to promoting tourism in Sierra Leone and Morocco where the process is co-created by the local government agencies responsible for business registration and tourism development.