Women's Empowerment and Tourism

Goals 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

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Women are the motors of tourism. Both as travellers and workers, women drive the sector forward and represent a huge and growing market. Yet women still earn on average 15% less than men and are underrepresented in boardrooms and governments across the world.

UN Tourism works to bring women’s empowerment to the forefront of the global tourism agenda, promoting gender equality and helping tourism contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 5.

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Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport

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Women make up 36% of aviation workers but just 6% of pilots.

Value

Women in the AviationWomen Pilots36%6%

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Six headline findings

Across the world tourism transport employment is acutely male-dominated. In countries with available data:

  • Women make up 36% 1 of aviation workers but just 6% of pilots 2.
  • 96% of all tourism transport workers work in land passenger transport, but only 3% of them are women
  • Just 12% of water passenger transport workers are women 3
  • Women transport workers enjoy different opportunities depending on where they are.  Europe has the highest proportion of women workers, Southern Asian countries have the lowest.
  • Advocacy makes a real difference. Gender-focused policies and awareness campaigns focused on women in tourism transport have been effective globally in aviation, and across all transport modes in Europe.
  • Safety and access to sanitation facilities are key barriers to women's employment. 1 in 5 countries still don't have legal protections against harassment at work.

[1] Figures are based on national data across 99 countries and territories, based on the most recent year available (2014–2025): 54 (air), 54 (road), 26 (railway) and 37 (water). Full data available in the Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport.

[2]International Air Transport Association (2025).

[3] Figures are based on national data across 99 countries and territories, based on the most recent year available (2014–2025): 54 (air), 54 (road), 26 (railway) and 37 (water). Full data available in the Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport.

Women working in hospitality

% of people working in hospitality that are women (2024)

Women working in hospitality

Women working in hospitality

All series are visible.

= 1%

GlobalSouth AsiaMiddle EastEuropeEast Asia & the PacificAmericasAfricaRegion78%58%61%53%9%18%56%

Source: International Labour Organization (2024), ILOSTAT, Employment by sex and economic activity, country data + ILO Modelled Estimates for ISIC rev 4 category I: ‘Accommodation and Food Service Activities’. •

Calculated figures based on a sample of 187 countries and territories, using country data where available (88) and modelled estimates where not (99).

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0100908070605040302010010080604020

Women Tourism Ministers

% of Tourism Ministers that are women (2025)

Women Tourism Ministers

Women Tourism Ministers

All series are visible.

= 1%

GlobalSouth AsiaMiddle EastEuropeEast Asia & the PacificAmericasAfricaRegion42%33%10%29%21%0%30%

Source: World Tourism Organization (2025), UN Tourism. • Calculated figures based on the gender of the highest tourism authority on 28/02/26 in a sample of 186 countries and territories.

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