Women and tourism

Gibson, H; Jordan, Fiona; Berdychevsky, L

Abstract

Many people regard travel as an integral part of their leisure and work lives. Flying from A to B, hopping on and off a train, taking a road trip, and setting sail on a cruise offer the promise of excitement and escape from daily routines. Tourism, however, is not only an industry that enables travel, but is a social phenomenon influenced by socio-structural and cultural forces. When exploring the social and cultural aspects of tourism, the extent to which all touristic experiences are shaped by issues such as socio-economic factors, disability, race, and age become apparent. For example, gender is associated with tourism as an industry and as an experience. Consider the women smiling invitingly from holiday brochures and advertisements, the largely invisible women who clean hotel rooms, the local women encountered in the markets and shops, the mothers on vacation entertaining and taking care of their children, the woman eating in a hotel restaurant by herself, or the groups of older women laughing and hurrying back to join their tour bus. All of these scenarios are common in the world of tourism every day. Yet, little is known about the experiences of these women. Our interest in understanding more about these diverse lived experiences has informed our research and thinking about women and tourism.

• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2013
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Leisure, Women and Gender
• ISBN: 9781892132987
• Keywords: women, tourism, 21st century
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/938149
• Publisher URL: http://www.venturepublish.com/product.php?id=182