The Entrepreneurship Education Paradox in Chinese Hospitality and Tourism: Navigating Self‐Efficacy, Perceived Culture Support, and Fear of Failure

This study explores how curricular and extracurricular entrepreneurship activities impact the entrepreneurial intentions of hospitality and tourism undergraduates in China. While entrepreneurship education is gaining attention, more exposure does not necessarily lead to stronger intentions to start businesses, especially in cultures that prioritize job stability. Using experiential learning theory (ELT) and social cognitive theory (SCT), we analyze how self‐efficacy and opportunity recognition affect entrepreneurial intention, considering factors such as perceived cultural support and fear of failure. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) on data from 458 students at four Chinese universities, we found that both types of activities improve self‐efficacy. Self‐efficacy significantly drives opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial intention, with opportunity recognition also positively influencing intention. Although perceived cultural support enhances self‐efficacy, it does not directly affect entrepreneurial intention, suggesting that societal approval alone is not enough to drive personal commitment to entrepreneurship. Additionally, fear of failure strengthens the link between self‐efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. This study highlights that fostering entrepreneurial intention depends more on individual skills, market assessment, and emotional factors than on exposure to entrepreneurship education alone. The findings offer insights for creating practical curricula and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).