Women in tourism: experiences and challenges faced by owners of small accommodation establishments.

Abstract

African women, including those in the global context, have increasingly become engaged in the business of tourism. Such women have become important actors in the tourism entrepreneurial arena, despite facing inequality in a perceived male-dominated environment. Although making significant contributions to the growth of any given economy through their business initiatives, women still face a number of challenges that limit their effectiveness in the small business context. This study analyses the role that is played by women in the tourism business sector. Specifically, it focuses on the experiences and challenges of women who operate accommodation-related businesses. Using a qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted with guesthouse and bed and breakfast owners in the Johannesburg region. The key findings reveal that women face various challenges, mainly in terms of a lack of appropriate training and education within the tourism industry pertaining to the accommodation sector that might adequately support their business ventures, as well as in relation to lacking sufficient access to finance for their business(es). Furthermore, women tend to enter into business ventures for diverse and varying reasons such as the need for growth and better quality of life, rather than simply to make a profit. Additionally, their experiences vary, with the most prominent experience being found to be meeting and interacting with people.

Keywords

• women
• guesthouses
• expectations
• experiences
• challenges
• recommendations