Map talk: tourism micro-entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in North Carolina
Tourism is highly advocated as a tool for poverty reduction in both developed and developing countries. Increased tax revenues and employment, and improved infrastructure are often cited as benefits from the growth of tourism. However, tourism is also often criticized for cultural commodification, leakage of economic benefits, displacement of people from their original habitats, limited participation of host communities, as well as the uneven distribution of benefits. Tourism micro-entrepreneurship is said to be a good solution to these problems – because micro-entrepreneurship creates income earning opportunities with low entry-barriers appropriate to under-resourced members of the host community. Moreover, with their involvement in tourism, these community segments gain a place in community decision-making and exert pressure for tourism to develop in more equitable and sustainable ways. Micro-entrepreneurship is related to the definition of self-employment - performing work fo