Factors Influencing Entrepreneurial Intentions of Tourism and Hospitality Undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Entrepreneurship has long been recognized as a tool for a country's continued economic success. Entrepreneurship also fosters innovation, allowing for faster economic development. Undergraduates in Sri Lanka choose to work for the government or the corporate sector rather than start their own business. As a result, Sri Lanka has a low rate of entrepreneurs, which has a direct impact on the country's economic progress. Furthermore, entrepreneurs with a background in tourism and hospitality management are less likely to be noticed. Hence, encouraging undergraduates studying tourism and hospitality management to become entrepreneurs is critical. In this sense, the entrepreneurial purpose of tourism and hotel management undergraduates plays a key role. A major goal of this study is to determine the factors that influence entrepreneurial intent among tourism and hospitality management undergraduates in Sri Lankan universities. A total of 300 tourism and hospitality management students from public and private universities responded to the survey conducted by the researcher. The data was analyzed using the multiple regression approach. The study's findings demonstrated that influencing elements such as attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control had a beneficial impact on undergraduates who want to start their own business.