With its questions on the extent to which tourism brings women empowerment, this book is an engaging and thought-provoking read. It critiques how the industry has allowed women to renegotiate gender norms and the work still needed to be done, with real life stories from women working in tourism.

Does tourism empower women working in and producing tourism? How are women using the transformations tourism brings to their advantage? How do women, despite prejudice and stereotypes, break free, resist and renegotiate gender norms at the personal and societal levels? When does tourism increase women's autonomy, agency and authority? The first of its kind this book delivers:A critical approach to gender and tourism development from different stakeholder perspectives, from INGOs, national governments, and managers as well as workers in a variety of fields producing tourism.Stories of individual women working across the world in many aspects of tourism.A foreword by Margaret Bryne Swain and contributions from academics and practitions from across the globe.A lively and accessible style of writing that links academic debates with lived realities while offering hope and practical suggestions for improving gender equality in tourism.Gender Equality and Tourism: Beyond Empowerment, a critical gendered analysis that questions the extent to which tourism brings women empowerment, is an engaging and thought-provoking read for students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of tourism, gender studies, development and anthropology.