South America has a large tourism industry with an estimated 20.6 million visitors in 2022. The industry is worth $33 billion and is expected to grow throughout the decade. Tourists in the continent predominately travel to Columbia, Brazil, Argentina and Peru. Women make up 58% of the “care-taking” roles related to the industry, such as hospitality and cleaning staff. Thus, the industry’s influence on the quality of life and economic well-being of the women of South America is significant.

The Situation

Like most of the world, women in South America face many barriers to empowerment. According to a project that Wageningen University conducted, in general terms, Latin American societies follow the traditional doctrine of “hombre de la calle, mujer de la casa,” which means “the men in the street and the wife in the house.” Cultural norms, traditional community roles and caretaking of families often lead them to dependence on men in the family and often leave them unable to provide for their families in the ways they wish.

However, tourism provides new opportunities to empower women by normalizing their presence in new workplaces. Further, despite many of the industry’s female employees taking up low-income roles, the growth of sustainable tourism and “slow” tourism, whereby tourists are moving away from traditional mass tourist destinations to seek more authentic and local experiences, is giving women in South America employment on their terms.

Wild Women Expeditions

Wild Women Expeditions offers guided tours of the famous four-day hike on the Inca trail that takes visitors through ancient Aztec sites. The organization hires female guides and porters, traditionally male-dominated roles, to take tourists along the pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.

Moreover, in the Andes, women of the Quechua community have benefited from tourism. Here, the women weave garments using traditional techniques. Visiting tourists watch the women weave, learn about their culture and purchase products. Increased tourism to the area has broadened the market for selling these textiles, increasing the income of the community, which has previously struggled in poverty. In the wake of increased tourism, a cooperative called “Awamaki” originated to empower indigenous women. It helped them manage their finances and improve their sales skills.

The UN World Tourism Board (UNWTO)

In 2022, the UN World Tourism Board (UNWTO) improved its commitment to women working in the industry by factoring them into guidelines for sustainable tourism. These guidelines include a section on gender equality and women’s empowerment. As governments across the continent follow these recommendations, it is hoped that the principles of female empowerment are included in their approaches to sustainable development. Zurab Pololikashvili, the UNWTO Secretary-General, stated, “These new guidelines will help both governments and businesses harness the sector’s power as a driver of women’s empowerment as the world opens up again.”

How Tourism is Beneficial to Women of South America

The benefits of tourism for the women of South America are two-fold: it creates jobs and fixed incomes for women while simultaneously preserving the cultural heritage and promoting the economic development of their communities. They allow women to gain income and preserve their culture, heritage and community while improving the economic development of rural areas.

To ensure a bright future for the people and environment of South America, it is important organizations such as the aforementioned continue to be supported by sustainable tourism in their areas. By continuing to break the glass ceiling for women’s employment in the tourist industry, the support of these organizations ensures that women’s empowerment continues to be promoted in South America’s tourism industry.

– Lucy Wing
Photo: Flickr