How does the entrepreneurship ecosystem foster tourism competitiveness?

This study explores how the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (EE) fosters tourism competitiveness by analyzing international arrivals, tourism expenditures, and employment. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the World Bank (2013–2022), advanced machine learning techniques, bagging, random forest, and boosting, are applied to assess the impact of EE components. SHAP and Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) reveal key predictors and their interactions, showing that Cultural and Social Norms (CSN), Total Early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA), and Business Services Sector (BSS) are crucial drivers. The integration of the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory illustrates how EE components enhance tourism growth through innovation and adaptability. Practical recommendations focus on fostering EEs to achieve sustainable tourism development.