A Qualitative Study on the Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Tourism Students' Individual Entrepreneurship Orientation

Abstract

Purpose – The objective of this study is to examine the change in individual entrepreneurial orientation of tourism students at the university level before and after entrepreneurship education.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was adopted. Semi-structured written questionnaires were administered to 20 associate and undergraduate students at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis.
Results – The findings show that entrepreneurship education enhances students’ understanding of entrepreneurial concepts and their awareness of required entrepreneurial traits. Positive developments were observed in personal characteristics such as self-confidence, initiative, and determination. Additionally, the tendency to start a business increased, along with improved awareness of skills such as strategic thinking, planning, and creativity.
Discussion – Entrepreneurship education contributes not only to professional knowledge but also to personal development by fostering self-awareness, goal setting, and self-efficacy. Based on the findings, it is recommended that comprehensive and experience-based entrepreneurship education be more widely integrated into university tourism curricula.