Gender Equality In Tourism---The Solo Female Travel Experience

Abstract: This Discussion paper is based on Strand 2 ‘Gender, empowerment and tourism’. For this discussion paper is focus on gender inequality in tourism, especially it related to solo female tourists that show what they desires and motivations are. And from another side, it also mentions the constraints and challenges on independent female travel.

Keywords: Gender, inequality, tourism, solo female travel, empowerment and constraints for solo female traveller, desire and motivations

Gender inequality can be explained that females are at a disadvantage position with respect to similarly situated male (Lorber, 2010: 4). For example, due to gender differences are produced under natural and culturally factors, when females work outside the home, they always get less paid for the same amount of time and work with males, and it is hard for them to get chances for advancement. Compared with men, they can easily be recognized in the workplace and move up the career ladder faster.

The meaning of gendered tourist is women as consumers in travel. Here are have some data demonstrating that female travellers have become main consumers in tourism market. More specifically, female travellers account for about half of the pleasure and business travel market, respectively. In addition, Kain and King (2004) and Newlands (2004) claim that females tend to be more represented in the backpacker market (Harris and Wilson, 2007: 236). Since the 18th and 19th centuries, travellers have always been known as ‘adventurers’ and ‘explorers’. Today, female independent ravel has become common situation in their lives.

There are many factors that can encourage women to go their own travel independently. These elements also include desires and motivations for females to travel independently.
1- Independent tourism can provide freedom, confidence and self-control to all females
2- The developing of social media serves as a main factor that can motivate females to travel.
3- Network development allow many female travellers who want to share their personal travel experience and travel writing on their blogs, it gives courage and confidence to some female who want to begin their journey.

However, everything has two sides, and the drawback also cannot be ignored when solo females start their own journey. There is study showing women tend to be more highly constrained than men in tourism and leisure activities (Wilson and Little, 2008:168). In addition, constraints are heightened for women when they participate in some activities or are in outdoor environments; they worry to suffer harassment or male violence (Wilson and Little, 2008:168). For example, about female travel alone debate was began in 2013, due to a female solo traveller who were killed in Istanbul, and later, six Spanish women were raped in Mexico. As a result, the negative effect on female solo traveller has been exposed

In fact, women are still the primary victims of rape and sexual assault around the world (Wilson and Little, 2008:170). Therefore, in order to avoid of harm and dangerous surrounds by women, a feminist geographer Valentine’s who claim some strategies to avoid dangerous when their travel independently.

1- Valentine’s states that a male violence association in certain environmental has a significant effect on many female ‘use of space’. Hence, Valentine’s also suggested that women ‘mental maps of feared ’ are from hearing some frightening experience and advice by others and from media reporting (Wilson and Little, 2008:168).
2- Valentine put forward that women can use one avoidance strategies, when their in some public environment, such as restricting their movements to certain areas in certain time of the day (Wilson and Little, 2008:168).

In other words, at any time that bad thing can happen to anyone, hence, tourists must adopt measures to deal with, as far as possible to ensure their own safety. Here are have some tips, in order to ensure the safety of the solo female travellers.

1-Donot wear expensive jewellery and take a lot of cash, and drinking in unfamiliar environment
2-Check the hotel window, door and confirm that it is locked when you back to yours room after a day.
3-Once you arriving destination, remember to prevent your passport in a safe place, and copy it, then with it.
4-When you go to a foreign country, remember to take a hotel name card, when you cannot find the hotel location, you can take this card to the taxi driver.

Today, with the development of tourism industry, all of the tourism activities is to open the door for anyone, whatever both women and men, and also with the improvement of people’s awareness on feminist, it is shows women’s have some right as men by choose travel on independently, and that can be understand and support by others people on the society.





Reference

Harris, C. and Wilson, E. (2007) Travelling beyond the boundaries of constraint: Women, Travel and Empowerment. In: Pritchard, A., Morgan, N., Ateljevic, I. and Harris, C., Tourism & Gender: embodiment, sensuality and experience, pp. 235-251.

Wilson, E. and Little, D.E. (2008) The Solo Female Travel Experience: Exploring the ‘Geography of Women's Fear’, Current Issues in Tourism, 11(2), pp. 167-186.

Lorber, J. (2010) Gender inequality, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

I have chosen to comment on this discussion paper because I this this paper is quite interesting, they talk about the Women as a consumer in travel. On the other hand, which is very similarity with my paper's topic, gender empowerment equity women through the tourism. Nowadays, there have many unfair conditions between the women and men, specially for the women area. Gender inequality can be explained that females are at a disadvantage position with respect to similarly situated male (Lorber, 2010: 4). Personally, I think the women situated problem is lack of opportunity and motivation and training.

This author says “female travelers account for about half of the pleasure and business travel market, respectively. In addition, Kain Nederlands claim that females tend to be more represented in the backpacker market .Since the 18th and 19th centuries, travelers have always been known as ‘adventurers’ and ‘explorers’. Today, female independent ravel has become common situation in their lives.” This means female travelers which is the occupied high proportion in the tourism market. This point very similar with my conference paper, which is the female worker in tourism also occupied very high proportion. Thus, I hold my personal view the tourism is very suitable for female. Whatever for work or single travel.

The author also has noticed the same fact that I did, which is “Independent tourism can provide freedom, confidence and self-control to all females and the developing of social media serves as a main factor that can motivate females to travel.” from this view I can get some useful information, travel can provide freedom, confidence and self independent for the female. That’s very same as my paper’s women has a good work can help them independent on economic and social life, in the other word, women have a freedom in the family circle.

In this paper the author introduce deeply some risk of female solo travel. “due to a female solo traveler who were killed in Istanbul, and later, six Spanish women were raped in Mexico. As a result, the negative effect on female solo traveler has been exposed “In fact, women are still the primary victims of rape and sexual assault around the world (Wilson and Little, 2008:170). Female sexual assault, which is very hot topic in the nowadays. Female unquestionable is a vulnerable members, the solo female travel will give some criminal offender chance. Like the author said in order to avoid of harm and dangerous surrounds by women, a feminist geographer “Valentines” who claim some strategies to avoid dangerous when their travel independently. This states is quite useful which can protect females’ personal safety, its a good reporting.

All in all, this paper describe the solo female travel, and give some good suggestion for them. We hope female in tourism industry can development more and more “health”, let this industry be full of positive energy in the future !

Reference
Lorber, J. (2010) Gender inequality, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

I chose to comment on this conference paper, as it is related to same topic as my paper and I found it very interesting topic to discuss. Same time there is not enough literature written about female solo travelers. This particular Gender, empowerment and tourism strand has focused strongly on female side and brings a lot of attention how women are treated in workplaces and what kind of constraints women face while their travels. This conference paper is focusing especially on female solo travelers and also possible fear that females face while their solo travels, but also brings out important issues of equality.

I think it was good to mention briefly about gender equality and bring out how women are the ‘weaker’ side, as they do not get paid as well as men, or their possibilities for leading roles are weaker. This is very important note and has its own influence on tourism and how gender roles are still seen so traditionally, and women still categorized into certain strands. As Barton, Devillard and Hazlewood (2015) discuss progress to more equal era is ‘’painfully slow’’, even though there has been much development. Although it is still important to remember global situation and how in some cultures and religions women do not own this possibility or right to equality.

It was important to mention how women have become a big market segment, as they are presenting approximately half of the pleasure and business markets. This gives good picture, how important segment female travelers are, and how they should feel safe to travel and explore as they prefer, as they are also bringing a lot of money into tourism industry. It was great that there was clearly pointed out how solo travelling can boost independency and self-assurance of women, as it is one of the motives behind travelling. There are many authors as Bond (1997), who have discussed about the influences of solo female travels and how it can change how women feel and see the world after breaking some ‘norms’ and leaving from the comfort zone. Also mentioning social media was very good point as nowadays it has huge influence on people and their preferences.

I felt the main point was focusing on ‘geography of women’s fear’ by Wilson and Little (2008). I found their study very interesting and as mundane as travelling is, there are still lot of constraints for women and their travels and many of these constraints are caused by fear. Which has made women to use different type of coping mechanisms as Wilson and Little (2008) discusses, also as this conference paper very clearly introduces. Finally pointing how there is still difference on equality what comes to even travelling.

Barton.D, Devillard. S, and Hazlewood, J. (2015) McKinsey Quarterly. Issue 4.

Bond, M. (1997) Women travelers, A new growth market. Pacific Asia Travel Association Occasional Paper 20.

Wilson,E., and Little, D.E. (2008) The solo female travel experience: Exploring the ‘Geography of Women’s fear’ Current Issues in Tourism 11 (2).