Psychological Resilience and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy among Hospitality and Tourism Students and Graduates: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Research on entrepreneurial development and psychological preparedness among hospitality and tourism students has expanded considerably, yet entrepreneurial self-efficacy and psychological resilience have largely developed as separate streams of inquiry. This study aims to map the intellectual landscape of research on psychological resilience and entrepreneurial self-efficacy among hospitality and tourism students and graduates and to identify future research directions. A bibliometric review was conducted using 144 English-language journal articles and reviews retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analyses were performed using Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny in R, combining performance analysis with science mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping, thematic evolution, and conceptual structure analysis using Multiple Correspondence Analysis. The findings reveal sustained growth in scholarly output, with publication activity accelerating markedly after 2021 and reaching its highest level in 2025. Entrepreneurship education emerged as a dominant research theme. At the same time, entrepreneurial self-efficacy occupied a central position within the knowledge structure through its associations with entrepreneurial intention, tourism education, and related educational concepts. Psychological resilience emerged as an increasingly important theme associated with students' adaptability, well-being, and career preparedness. Thematic evolution further indicates a progression from tourism education towards entrepreneurial intention, COVID-19-related research, and more recent interest in sustainable entrepreneurship. Overall, the findings demonstrate an expanding intellectual landscape in which entrepreneurial development and psychological preparedness are increasingly relevant to hospitality and tourism education. Future research should integrate entrepreneurial self-efficacy and psychological resilience within unified frameworks while extending investigation towards digital and sustainable entrepreneurship and more diverse methodological and geographical contexts.