“This handbook brings together a collection of insightful research that explores the role and importance of a range of these gender issues in tourism studies. It showcases the work of scholars from diverse disciplines, regions, and perspectives, offering a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the subject matter.”
Foreword by Professor Nigel Morgan
Our Associate Dr Elaine Yang has released the Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis, together with co-editors Magdalena Petronella (Nellie) Swart, Wenjie Cai, Elaine Chiao Ling Yang, Albert Nsom Kimbu.
The handbook offers renewed discussions related to teaching and learning, research and gender practices in tourism. It presents a holistic picture, covering both macro (wider issues on pre-, during and post-COVID-19 impacts and tourism development and policy) and micro (individual experiences) perspectives related to gender in tourism.
It addresses a far-reaching variety of topics, too. Education, entrepreneurship, employment, mobility, research, sustainability, tourism development, and sexuality to name a few, with intersectionality a threading theme throughout. As a handbook, it offers practical guides and ‘takeaway points’ to ensure significant contributions are made to the current conversations on gender in tourism.
A Platform for Critical Voices
When planning the book, the editors envisaged an intellectual platform for critical and alternative voices. They were particularly eager to include those from the Global South and overlooked regions. To ensure this, they introduced several mentorship and developmental initiatives.
These initiatives supported emerging scholars in developing regions in refining their academic writing and publication skills, to craft quality chapters according to international publication standards. This resulted in 16 chapters, written by 37 mostly non-native English-speaking authors from 16 countries.
The concluding chapter encompasses dialogues with eight esteemed tourism gender scholars on their visions and advice for advancing gender equality in tourism. They identify justice, freedom and transformation as the cornerstone of equality in tourism. Our Co-Director Dr Stroma Cole was interviewed and describes gender equality as the ‘transformation of relations’ critical to the survivability of humans and the planet. Meanwhile, fellow Equality in Tourism Associate Dr Heather Jeffrey urges for more critical self-reflection of one’s privilege and bias and to call out gender inequality.
One message is unanimous in the advice from the thought leaders: the importance of community. Community is about care, cooperation and collaboration, according to Stroma. It’s about having strength in number when fighting the same fight and supporting each other. These are values we champion at Equality in Tourism.
The Future of Gender Work in Tourism
Guided by the collective wisdom of the authors and experts, the handbook highlights three directions for continuing gender work in tourism:
- Mainstreaming gender in tourism research and teaching;
- Foregrounding intersectionality in tourism policies and practices to address intertwined inequalities;
- Adopting a gender transformative approach in responding to the critical challenges of our time, such as climate change and the fourth industrial revolution. Both have a significant impact on gender relations and the tourism industry.
Each individual chapter contains more practical guides and recommendations.
The Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism is available to order now. Don’t miss the virtual book launch on 2nd May 2024, which will spotlight the chapter contributors and feature a panel discussion on gender in tourism.
Browse our Learn With Us library for more essential reading on gender and tourism.
