Entrepreneurial Innovation and Marketing Performance of Small and Medium Hotel Enterprises: A Systematic Literature Review

Entrepreneurial innovation is increasingly recognised as a key strategic driver of marketing performance among small and medium hotel enterprises (SMHEs), particularly within highly competitive and dynamic hospitality environments. Despite a growing body of research, the literature remains fragmented and provides inconsistent evidence regarding the effects of different innovation forms on marketing-related outcomes. This study undertakes a systematic literature review to synthesise empirical findings on the relationship between entrepreneurial innovation and marketing performance in SMHEs. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2000 and 2025 were retrieved from major academic databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Emerald Insight. A total of 78 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed using thematic synthesis. The findings demonstrate that product, service, process, and digital innovations, when embedded within an entrepreneurial orientation, significantly enhance marketing performance through improved customer satisfaction, brand visibility, market responsiveness, and competitive positioning. However, the review also identifies persistent theoretical gaps, methodological limitations, and a pronounced contextual bias towards developed economies. By integrating fragmented insights across hospitality and entrepreneurship research, this study contributes to theory development and proposes a conceptual framework linking entrepreneurial innovation to marketing performance in SMHEs. The findings further provide practical implications for hotel owner-managers and policymakers and outline directions for future research.