Tourism advertising often reinforces gender stereotypes portraying women as objects for male pleasure. However, some advertisements are challenging these stereotypes by showing women traveling independently and engaging in adventurous activities traditionally associated with masculinity like rock climbing. Still, true change will require transforming the patriarchal structures that underlie the tourism industry. Women remain largely absent from depictions of tourists exploring nature, and their roles are rarely redefined beyond serving the masculine gaze.

1. 112006 Kwok Chun Lok, Alicia
112010 Au Hiu Sze, Celia
Tourism Industry as a Site of Contestation of the Definition
of “Female”

2. Tourism Industry:
a Site of Contestation of the Definition of
“Female”
*On the one hand:
*How is the stereotypes of female reinforced in tourism
industry?
*On the other hand:
*How is the stereotypes of female being challenged in
tourism industry ?

3. *Travelling is masculinized as having “adventures” and
“risk-taking” & “bravery”
*“[Tourism] is a set of presumptions about manhood,
education and pleasure”(Enloe,2000,p.28)
*Originally, travelling is for men to grow and become
mature, not intended for women
*Women: Stays at home and looks after children
* “Good girls go to Heaven. Bad girls go everywhere”
(Enloe,2000, P.21)
How is the stereotypes of female reinforced in
tourism industry?
- A brief introduction of the gendered tourism

4. * Example :
*New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese
Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mount
Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at
11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953
*The first couple to climb up the Mountain
(Rosenberg)

5. Only MALE is mentioned in such pioneering
journey & in history. How about the female?

6. *For male tourists , “Women are something
to be experienced” (Enloe,2000,P.28)
*Male tourists might opt for alcohol, entertainments & sex
escape(to be sexually experienced/mature)
*Visit bars and pubs
*E.g. Moulin Rouge in France
⇒Enjoy Can Can dance
⇒Male gaze in sexualized female bodies
⇒Though tourists of both sexes can go there
(maybe out of curiosity)
⇒Originally: For man’s sexual desire only
How is the stereotypes of female
reinforced in tourism industry?
-Female and Sex

7. *Case Study:
*Red Light District in Netherland
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rsKe3rMc5fo
(0:47)
How is the stereotypes of female
reinforced in tourism industry?
-Female and Sex

8. *Female and Sex: Sex Tourism
*Window “shopping” for sex services
*=> reinforced male gaze
*=> female bodies are being commodified
*=> Sell herself like the mannequins sell clothes
*Inferiority of the locals; superiority of the foreign male tourists

12. *Fordism of the red light district tour
*Production oriented
⇒Making expectations, anticipations and fantasy
over the prostitutes/women in general
*“ Our local guides will show you the world's first
specialized condom shop (The Condomerie), a
statue for sexworkers, hidden art, the prostitutes,
an erotic theatre (Casa Rosso) and much more.”
*http://amsterdamredlightdistricttour.com/#ixzz2
xM39gcsF
How is the male gaze reinforced in
the packaged tour ?

13. *In the packaged tour in which you are taught to
gaze/having fantasy over the prostitutes,
*More than the gaze by male
⇒As well as female tourists
⇒View the prostitutes as if they are sex objects
=>Male gaze is being legitimized by such tours
 The stereotypical relation between female
and sex is reinforced
How is the male gaze reinforced in
the packaged tour ?

14. *Condoms are one of the “must-have” souvenirs
from Holland
*“Sexualized” Holland => as a sex paradise
*Encouraging people to come and gaze at the
women there
How is consumerism reinforcing the
stereotypical relation between female
and sex?

15. Women (prostitutes) =>represented as Dangerous
Classified as “dark side” of the City (then what about casinos
and pubs?)
Locals: “friendly”, “knowledgeable” and “reliable”
=> Superficial social relations (like a trustworthy “friend” or
“brother”)
Has to rely on the local guide in order to be “safe”
Make the place sounds like more dangerous and risky
=> Don’t go by yourself alone!

16. *Blake, M. (2012, Nov 27). British man becomes
first person to visit all 201 countries.. without
using a plane read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
2239087/graham-hughes-british-man-person-
visit-201-countries-without-using-plane.html
*Coinseurotrip. (Performer). (2011, Mar 2).
Amsterdam Red Light District HD [Web Video].
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rsKe3rMc5fo
*Enloe, C. (2000). “On the Beach.” Bananas,
Beaches, and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of
International Politics. Berkeley: University of
California Press. 19-41.

17. *Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). The first to climb mount
everest. Retrieved from
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/qt/
mteverest.htm

18. How is the stereotypes of female
being challenged in tourism industry
?
Subversive or not?

19. The stereotype of femininity in
Tourism Industry
Femininity = restriction of mobility
“ In many societies being feminine has been defined as sticking close to
home. Masculinity, by contrast, has been the passport for travel”
(Enloe,2000, P.21)
Even if women have to travel, they are departing from a
home to another home( accompanied by the male )
 never leave “home”(in physical sense)
Propagated by the tourism industry: “There's nothing like
Australia”(2013), “Tourism Tasmania” (2011), “Tourism Fiji”
(2013)


20. Challenging the stereotype of
femininity
The restriction of mobility( home, male companion)
is challenged with the concept of women “explorer”
/tourist
“they dare to travel without male protection”
(Enloe,2000, P.23)
•“Incredible India”(Indian Tourism Board)2012

21. Challenging the stereotype of
femininity
• (although she is a clumsy “adventurer” /tourist
suggesting that she is not up to the male standard of
being a good adventurer
• And she is guided by man: still a biased view: female
dependence)
• The contestation: Redefining “women”
• Woman travelling alone
• riding motorcycle women’s mobility
• Mountaineering the joy of being alone
/accomplishment
• Rock Climbing, mountain biking bravery

22. The absent “female” tourist
• Male tourists are constantly defined as “explorers
and adventurers” conqueror of the nature in
tourism industry
• The female tourist is left undefined( only served as
part of the objects)
• Colorado Tourism Commercial (2012)
• The masculine ,totalizing gaze on the natural
environment as shown in the tourism
advertisements

23. The absent “female” tourist
Challenges : Redefining the absent “female”
tourist
“Your Moment is Waiting” (Kerala Tourism) 2010
(Although objectification of women is still present)
 Intimate , peaceful and spiritual relationship
between female tourists and the nature

24. Conclusion
•  Only minute challenges can be made
• Challenging the stereotype of femininity:
women can travel on her own
• Redefining the absent “female” tourist
• “The very structure of international tourism
needs patriarchy to survive” (Enloe,2000,
P.21)

25. References
• Incredible India.(2012) Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ulE2CbvCCG0
• Colorado Tourism.(2012)Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
1yXdOufzKE
• Your Moment is Waiting.(2010) Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=axHn7KDxM8U