54 per cent of people employed in tourism are women
Travel Biz News —
At a global level 54 per cent of people employed in tourism are women compared to 39 per cent in the broader global economy, according to a report released by UNWTO.
Around 8 per cent of people employed in tourism in the Middle East region are women, compared to 16 per cent in the overall economy of the region.
However, 21 per cent of Tourism Ministers are female in the region compared to 23 per cent at a global level.
Women are well-educated but not entering the tourism workforce in the Middle East.
According to UNWTO research, fewer than one in 10 tourism workers in the Middle East are women though this proportion is steadily increasing.
The Regional Report on Women in Tourism in the Middle East, released by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlights the progress and opportunities to further advance gender equality in the sector.
The report also shows that in employment, self-employment and SME ownership, women’s participation is significantly lower that men’s across the region with a reluctance towards working in tourism. Concerns over balancing family and work life conciliation and legislative barriers were all found to be among the primary contributing factors for this.
According to the latest data, 21 per cent of regional tourism minister positions were filled by women in 2019. The report also highlights a rich mosaic of women in senior tourism positions and a raft of policy level initiatives such as Saudi’s Vision 2030, Egypt’s Tourism Reform Programme and the United Arab Emirates’ Gender Balance Council.
The report aims to act as a benchmark for future research into the effects of these policies and to catalyze further work towards gender-equality.
Jan. 11 , 2021 Image : UNWTO
