A Different Approach of Entrepreneurs in Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Entrepreneurship

In this research, cultural entrepreneurship based on intangible cultural heritage, is the core of investigation. Among the number of registered national intangible cultural heritage four of them including “Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals”, “Radif of Iranian Music”, “Iranian Dramatic Story- Naqqali Telling” and “Ritual Dramatic Art of Tazie” have been studied. The purpose of this research is to find out the possibility of setting up entrepreneurial businesses based on intangible cultural heritage in Isfahan. The present research is qualitative through deep and semi-structured interviews, with three groups of artists, cultural entrepreneurs and cultural business owners and experts in art and cultural fields. The findings based on grounded theory, suggest that setting up a business in the field of intangible heritages is possible especially tourism business, but entrepreneurs would have a view point to protect those heritages and the purpose of this businesses would not be profitability only. Participants have emphasized that direct governmental support is needed to have a stable business in this field. Findings are paradoxical with entrepreneurship literature where entrepreneurs are looking for profit and governments should not directly play role in economy. Therefore, it is essential to propose a new view point of cultural entrepreneurship with consideration of all role players.