Unpacking the local: A cultural analysis of tourism entrepreneurship in Murter, Croatia

In recent years, there has been a paradigmatic shift articulated by the 'cultural' turn of tourism geography. Within the cultural analysis of economic relations the embrace of complexity and diversity has become essential to broadening our understanding of tourism development processes. This paper seeks to engage with local cultural perspectives, which inform these 'new' ways of theorizing tourism. This study focuses on small-scale tourism entrepreneurship in the village of Murter in the Balkans set against the backdrop of economic transition in a post-war environment. It is argued that the role of local values is critical in the re-emergence of tourism as a key economic sector and the shaping of small enterprise culture. The analysis utilizes an 'insider' perspective as a key positioning element in the discussion.