Barriers to and resilience opportunities for the growth and development of the tourist guiding subsector: a gendered perspective

This study examines barriers to and opportunities for the growth and development of the tourist guiding subsector, specifically focusing on gendered perspectives and their role in building inclusive resilience in the tourism sector. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from tourist guides (n=434), while descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to examine the gendered differences in tourist guiding. The study revealed gendered disparities in barriers to training and qualification accessibility, regulatory ease and enforcement, tourist-guiding qualification processing, database development, and subsector transformation efforts among tourist guides. Despite revealing obstacles, the study highlighted emerging access to resilience opportunities. Recommendations include implementing training programmes tailored to women’s needs and advocating for policy changes that enhance inclusivity, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and diverse tourism sector. The study contributes to the literature on gendered perspectives and has a societal impact on the empowerment of marginalised groups.