Despite the significant contribution of women, who make up 54% of the global tourism workforce, there remains a persistent gender pay gap, coupled with a lack of representation in senior roles.
A recent Tourism Update poll also revealed that ‘a lack of female role models and mentors’ was voted joint second (alongside ‘gender stereotyping’) as the biggest barrier for women entering the tourism industry and securing leadership positions.
Nasreen Tisaker, who conducted a Master’s study titled ‘Investigating Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in the South African tourism sector’, found that women in the sector exhibited a strong desire to ascend to management and leadership positions.
“However, they lament the scarcity of female role models within the tourism and hospitality sectors. Access to mentors is perceived as crucial for career advancement, with mentorship programmes seen as instrumental in addressing workplace inequalities,” Tisaker told Tourism…