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This paper aims to show the economic impact of congress tourism and the sectors involved. In South Tyrol congress tourism may be considered niche tourism. It does not concern the South Tyrolean valleys, where tourist impact is high, but only the main towns.

The study consists of a quantitative analysis. A questionnaire has been drawn up and handed over to conference attendees during the last day of their presence at the event. The questionnaire is structured in three main parts: characteristics of the conference delegates and their stay, expenses related to the conference, and other expenses. The second and third sections aim at detailing expenditure and subdividing it into the following items: registration fees, transport, accommodation, food and drink, goods and services, cultural activities, sports and entertainment.

In South Tyrol the average total expenditure of congress delegates per day is higher than that of a traditional tourist. It must be considered that non‐event‐related expenses are very often included in the registration fees under the item “social programme”. As a consequence the total expenses are in fact higher. The question of registration fees actually plays a very important role, as it is a financially rather relevant item from which the destination normally benefits almost in full.

The survey succeeds in analysing the expenditure of conference delegates not only for board and lodging but also for leisure activities, as well as for the purchase of other goods and services like cultural, sports and entertainment activities during their conference stay in the region of South Tyrol.

This paper aims to utilize a mixed-embeddedness approach to examine how state welfare policies, employment conditions and gender norms shape orientations to divisions of business and domestic labor among Czech copreneurs, i.e. romantic couples involved in businesses together.

Twelve copreneur couples were interviewed; male and female partners were interviewed separately. Women’s narratives are centered in analyzing motivations for business, divisions of labor, orientation to business/family and state policies. After detailing women’s orientations, correspondence with male partner orientations is considered.

Analysis reveals how state policies, employment conditions and gender norms inform copreneur narratives about business and family life in the Czech Republic. Female respondents expressed three orientations: business as opportunity, business for family and business/home as teamwork. Women tended both business and family, whereas most male partners focused exclusively on business.

Although the small, purposive sample was not representative of all Czech copreneurs, findings detail how social context frames business/family dynamics.

This mixed-embeddedness perspective demonstrates how gender norms, state taxation and welfare shape the organization of Czech copreneurships and can support or discourage women’s entrepreneurship.

Mechanisms producing gender inequality in copreneur businesses are revealed.

Findings identify connections between female copreneur business/family orientations and the context of gender regimes, state policy and employment practices in a post-socialist country. Also revealed are changing orientations across family and business stages.