This paper is an empirical study on the drivers of innovative entrepreneurship for the tourism sector, in particular the role of the development context. Using cross-country data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) project and the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme, this study finds evidence that innovative entrepreneurship is negatively related to human development. Although more developed societies have more resources available and higher levels of education development, the tourism entrepreneurs have lower probability of being innovative. More developed societies are established tourism destinations, and facing such high demand, it is possible that tourism entrepreneurs have lower incentives to innovate.
