Abstract
Purpose - To explore and critically analyse entrepreneurship theories and concepts within the context of the small family tourism business, and the extent to which owner-managers and their enterprises can be classified as entrepreneurial. Design/methodology/approach - A model has been developed and applied to support a "drilling down" approach that moves from a surface understanding of entrepreneurship as a process through to an industry setting, to penetrate the organisational context and consequential entrepreneurial socio-economic outcomes. Findings - It has been demonstrated that understanding of the entrepreneurial process, as it interplays with family business, is best served by reference to the cultural, industry setting and organisational context within which entrepreneurs are embedded. Originality/value - The tourism industry has been deliberately selected as an illustrative context due to the low degree of entrepreneurial behaviour that it has traditionally exhibited. Through the application of the model explanations are provided for this, and conclusions are drawn that do classify small family tourism businesses as a manifestation of entrepreneurship as broadly conceived. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.