“Making do” in rural tourism: the resourcing behaviour of tourism micro-firms

We propose entrepreneurial bricolage as a framework that enables the description, explanation and exploration of the modus operandi of tour- ism micro-firms. Particularly, the notion of spatial bricolage constitutes fertile ground for further research and theoretical advances of sustain- able tourism entrepreneurship. The potential for rural tourism develop- ment is conditioned by entrepreneurs’ capability to utilise local physical and non-material resources sustainably. Thus, knowledge about the resourcing behaviour of micro-firms is paramount to understanding their role in promoting sustainable tourism. This study explores how rural micro-firms interact with their spatial environment to design tour- ism value propositions. Our analysis is based on interviews with eight- een owners-managers of tourism micro-firms in rural Sweden. We portray spatial bricolage as a resourcing behaviour that builds on the re-interpretation of existing resources, the unique features of the destin- ation and community involvement. The findings suggest that resource transfer facilitates sustainable development since it enables long-term planning and validates the entrepreneurs’ operation. Moreover, their small-scale enables rural tourism firms to utilise local resources in non- exploitative ways that minimise disturbance for other stakeholders.