I got a chance to chat with Dr. Nisha Abu Bakar and Zinal Doshi about the challenges female tour guides face and what needs to happen in the industry to encourage more female tour guides and leaders in Episode 3 of the Women We Watch podcast. Take a listen below!
SHOW NOTES:
“In the tourism industry where women make up almost 60% of the workforce, we have witnessed massive gender disparity in tour guiding as a profession. Women have faced various barriers ranging from lack of education and training opportunities to cultural constraints. Even those who break down the barriers to become tour guides, face a host of challenges from discrimination to sexual harassment…
However, we have seen some positive progress where women are challenging stereotypes by entering the male-dominated profession. An important driver is the demand for female-led tours and solo travel. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) issued tourist guide licenses to qualified Saudi women in 2019….
Women experience the world differently and a female tour-guide’s perspective in presenting the world through a female gaze can portray destinations, cultures and stories differently. What can we do to pave the way for more women to become tour guides globally? ”
Read more about the challenges female tour guides regularly face.