The visitor economy is a place-based concept that considers the entire setting in which visitors, residents, and tourists interact. It focuses on the characteristics that draw tourists and the facilities and services that facilitate their stay in the country (Grimmer and Vorobjovas-Pinta, 2020). Due to the visitor economy’s benefits, it is evident that several nations’ economic development now heavily depends on the visitor economy. It is essential for stimulating cultural interchange, producing foreign exchange, and supporting regional and national development. In addition, it provides various job opportunities, especially for women, young people, and underprivileged areas, which helps combat poverty and promote social inclusion. Several issues, including over-tourism, climate change, and inequality, pose a danger to the sustainability and long-term viability of the tourist economy. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations were created to achieve the goal of aiding nations in resolving numerous social, economic, and environmental issues (Boluk, Cavaliere, and Higgins-Desbiolles, 2019). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) were established in 2015. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 interlinked global goals to transform the world (Boluk, Cavaliere, and Higgins-Desbiolles, 2019). They were created as a “blueprint to achieving a brighter and more sustainable future for everybody” as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Grimmer and Vorobjovas-Pinta, 2020). The visitor economy substantially influences economic growth, employment, and cross-cultural interaction. In this essay, the applicability of SDG #5—gender equality—to the visitor economy, particularly the tourism industry, will be critically assessed. The essay will also discuss the obstacles in accomplishing this objective and offer workable solutions that could be implemented.
Tourism is an important sector in the United Kingdom and the whole world. With more than 40.1 million visitors in 2019 and a total GDP contribution of £234 billion, tourism is a significant industry and economic driver in the United Kingdom. It is the tenth most popular tourist destination in the world. The world travel and tourism council estimates that this industry employs more than 319 million people, making it a crucial economic sector. This sector contributed direct and indirect revenue in 2021, amounting to an estimated 131.5 billion British pounds of the nation’s GDP. The eighth-most World Heritage sites are located in the United Kingdom, which is home to 32 in total. Following Bhutan, England was ranked as one of the top nations to visit in 2020 by the travel book Lonely Planet.
Even though the tourism business is well known for its importance to the employment sector, it is also well known for its persistence of gender stereotypes and discrimination against women. Important international organisations and governments worldwide are paying close attention to the crucial human rights problem of gender equality. An international accord called Discrimination Against Women aims to eradicate all forms of gender discrimination (Jackman, 2022). Frequently, men hold most higher-paying roles like hotel management while women are confined to lower-paying jobs like housekeeping. Women also have impediments to entrance into several tourism-related industries, including adventure and sports tourism. The degree to which tourism may influence gender inequity and women’s empowerment has recently been the subject of heated debate. Most workers in the tourism sector globally are women, and in some nations, the proportion of female employers in the sector is over double that of other businesses (Jackman, 2022). In a nutshell, tourism has the potential to encourage female entrepreneurship and employment. At the same time, tourism academics contend that the sector is heavily gendered and frequently reproduces gender roles (Cole, 2018). Women in the tourism industry are disproportionately underrepresented in physically demanding tasks and critical managerial roles, with many working in care-related or interpersonal skill-required positions. The World Economic Forum reported that the global gender pay gap in the tourism sector is 17%, higher than the global average of 16% (Gap, 2017). Establishing gender equality in the tourist economy is significantly hampered by the gendered division of labour and discrimination against women in the tourism sector. Therefore, tourism overall seems to have mixed effects on gender equality in the workplace.
While there have historically been gender stereotypes and prejudice against women in the tourism business, there have been initiatives in recent years to advance gender equality and give women more authority. Therefore, it can also be rightly concluded that the tourism sector has made efforts to try to contribute to gender equality in several different ways. Numerous tourism-related organisations have implemented policies to enhance the number of women in leadership positions. This includes programs that mentor and prepare women for leadership positions and laws that guarantee equal pay and advancement. Enhancing the involvement of women in decision-making and communal life has significantly promoted gender equality. Women’s involvement in tourism businesses helps reduce household and individual poverty and alters decisions at work and in the community. Through economic empowerment and enhanced access to decision-making, women, who once felt lacking in status and influence, achieve more significant standing and self-esteem within society. The sector has also improved the economic empowerment and resource access of women. Because most tourism businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises, the sector offers significant potential for the growth of entrepreneurial activity. In addition, a collaboration between sustainable rural tourism and the arts and crafts industries can be developed, which can support the development of regional economies and the preservation of cultural heritage. A legislative action to advance women’s empowerment and, at the same time, contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage may be to fund entrepreneurship programs that target female artists and craftswomen. Many women are skilled in specific regional crafts but lack the expertise to turn their skills into a successful business. We could produce income and promote the nation’s cultural legacy if we helped them establish their modest businesses.
The 2030 Agenda is a tool that challenges conventional ideas about sustainable development on the social, economic, and environmental fronts. Sustainable development is not possible without gender equality and the empowerment of women. By guaranteeing several different opportunities, such as equal access to healthcare, work, and education opportunities and encouraging women’s leadership and decision-making, the objective strives to end gender inequities and empower women and girls. To remove gender inequities and empower women and girls, SDG #5 on gender equality calls for equal access to opportunities in different fields such as education, healthcare, and employment. Due to its importance for sustainable development, gender equality is pertinent to the tourism industry. Enhancing the well-being of local communities and promoting gender equality in the tourism industry can result in more inclusive and equitable growth. Enhancing gender equality can result in more inclusive and equitable growth in the tourism industry. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), about half of the world’s tourism workforce comprises. Women comprise 54% of people employed in tourism compared to 39% in the wider economy (Grandcourt, 2020). However, women frequently work in high concentrations in low-status, low-wage jobs like housekeeping and food service. The tourist sector can aid in lowering the gender pay gap and enhance women’s economic empowerment by encouraging women’s access to higher-paying and higher-status employment. Also, the tourism sector may encourage female entrepreneurship by offering female entrepreneurs training, mentorship, and funding possibilities. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that can support the growth of the local economy while also giving women job opportunities may result from this. The well-being of nearby communities can be increased by promoting gender equality in tourism. The industry can help lower poverty and improve health outcomes for women and girls by assisting women’s access to healthcare and education. More resilient and sustainable communities may result from this.
Despite initiatives to advance gender equality in the tourism industry, a number of issues still need to be resolved. Changing cultural attitudes and assumptions that support gender inequality is one of the most challenging problems. Many countries have highly embedded gender stereotypes, patriarchal social structures, and unconscious biases that can be challenging to eradicate. In addition, progress toward gender equality is hampered by the underrepresentation of women in senior roles in the tourism sector. Due to these cultural views, women are frequently consigned to lower-status and lower-paying jobs, while men predominate in higher-status and higher-paying positions. Due to the nature of the work, women who work in the tourism sector may encounter unique difficulties. In the sector, long hours, unpredictable schedules, and work in isolated or far-off locales are frequent requirements. Their caregiving obligations or safety concerns may hamper the ability of women to participate fully in the sector. Furthermore, because there are frequent barriers for women entering adventure tourism and sports tourism, these views and preconceptions might have an impact on women’s participation in such industries. The underrepresentation of women in executive roles is a significant barrier to advancing gender equality in the tourism industry (Je, Khoo, and Yang, 2022). Women are frequently underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions, making up nearly half of the global tourist workforce. Promoting gender equality within the sector is challenging due to the lack of representation. During meetings and discussions, the voice of the female gender is therefore not heard since they are underrepresented and, therefore, their needs are not well addressed. This crucial issue must be addressed to obtain an equitable society. Women are also vulnerable to sexual exploitation since studies have revealed links between tourism and sexual exploitation (Je, Khoo, and Yang, 2022). This is a big problem, especially in developing nations where poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of economic possibilities can leave women more open to exploitation. Sex tourism, or travel for sex, is a major issue in many regions of the world. Indirectly or directly, economic and social factors frequently push or coerce women and girls into prostitution. As women and girls are frequently trafficked and used for sexual exploitation, the demand for sex tourism may also contribute to this problem. The tourism sector has developed a culture that normalises and even promotes the objectification of women, which can help prevent sexual harassment and assault. Likewise, Gender-based violence (GBV) poses a serious problem for the tourism industry since it affects staff and visitors. Sexual harassment, assault, and rape are just a few harmful behaviours that fall under the umbrella of GBV (Grandcourt, 2020). The prevalence of GBV in the tourism industry can discourage women from engaging in the sector as visitors or employees because women and girls are particularly vulnerable to GBV. For both individuals and society as a whole, GBV can have substantial financial and social implications. The physical and psychological trauma that GBV causes to people can result in long-term health issues as well as lower earning capacity. For society, GBV can result in lower productivity, higher healthcare expenses, and slower economic progress. The fact that GBV is frequently underreported and challenging to track is one of the difficulties in treating it in the tourism sector. Due to apprehension of revenge, social shame, or a lack of access to support resources, many GBV events go unreported. As a result, it might be challenging to determine the exact scope of the issue and to create efficient plans for preventing and dealing with GBV in the tourism industry. The need for more GBV education and awareness in the tourism industry presents another obstacle. Many workers and visitors might not be aware of their legal rights or the resources available to them in cases of GBV.
Several suggestions can be put into practice to deal with these challenges that have been identified. First, programs for awareness and education are required to combat cultural attitudes and prejudices in society. Creating awareness and education would enable most people to know the challenges facing the tourism industry, which will later result in the majority advocating for solutions. It might lead to the issues of equality facing the tourism industry being resolved. Initiatives to encourage women’s engagement in adventure and sports tourism, as well as campaigns to dispel gender stereotypes in the travel and tourism sector, can also be used to encourage more women to participate in job-seeking activities in the tourism sector and enhance equality. Second, women need to be encouraged to take on leadership and decision-making roles in the tourism sector (Cole, 2018). Encouraging this strategy would increase the voices of women in the tourism industry, and this would make it much easier to resolve the issues about equality. Initiatives to mentor and prepare women for leadership positions and laws ensuring equal pay and advancement chances might be examples of this. Thirdly, there is a need to address women entrepreneurs’ limited access to finance and financing options (Gap, 2017). This can include programs that help women entrepreneurs get the skills and support they need and laws that guarantee equal access to capital and financing options. To fight sex tourism and trafficking, stricter regulations and enforcement practices are also required. This includes actions taken to penalise those who engage in sex tourism and those taken to assist and safeguard victims. People must be aware of the connections between tourism and sexual exploitation. These can involve campaigns to promote ethical travel and activities to inform tourists about the effects of sex tourism on local populations. In the tourism industry, significant funding should support women’s entrepreneurship and small business development (Je, Khoo, and Yang, 2022). By tackling these issues using the proposed recommendations, the tourism sector can advance gender equality and enhance the well-being of everyone participating in the industry.
The topic of this essay is the applicability of SDG #5, gender equality, to the visitor economy, particularly the tourism sector. It examines the significance of advancing gender equality in the tourist sector to achieve sustainable development and the difficulties that must be solved to eliminate gender inequities. Changes in cultural views and prejudices, the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, the connections between tourism and the sex industry, obstacles to travel for women due to cost and other factors, and the dangers of gender-based violence are some challenges. The unique effects of gender inequality in various tourism industries should be explored since little information is known. Likewise, further research studies should be done to identify the best ways to promote gender equality in the industry. The study could also focus on the intersections between gender and other social identities like race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. It is possible to develop a more sustainable, just, and inclusive tourist economy that benefits everyone by undertaking additional research and taking action to address gender inequities in tourism. Awareness and education programs can help combat cultural prejudices and encourage women’s participation in adventure and sports tourism. Women need to be encouraged to take on leadership and decision-making roles, and initiatives to mentor and prepare women for these positions are necessary. Access to financing options for women entrepreneurs, stricter regulations, and enforcement practices to fight sex tourism and trafficking are also needed. Significant funding should support women’s entrepreneurship and small business development in the tourism industry to enhance gender equality and well-being. The applicability of SDG #5, gender equality, to the visitor economy, particularly the tourism sector, is a sensitive and crucial topic. Therefore the challenges affecting this sector should be critically addressed to solve this issue which will then improve the country’s economic status.
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