Female employment in tourism approaches 50 million

The new research by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC), initiated by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Tourism, reveals increased employment opportunities for women and youth in the global travel and tourism sector worldwide. According to a statement from the WTTC, the research indicates a rapid increase in the direct employment of women from 2010 to 2019, with a 24% increase from 38.6 million to 47.8 million. The report also highlights young workers, representing a significant component of the sector's workforce, accounting for 15% of all jobs in the sector in both 2010 and 2021.

However, the global share of young workers in overall employment decreased from 16.5% in 2010 to 12.5% in 2021, emphasizing the importance of travel and tourism in youth employment. Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, expressed pride in collaborating with the Sustainable Tourism Global Center and publishing the significant report as part of their Environmental and Social Studies. She stated, "For the first time, we can show that the sector has an incredibly positive impact globally, supporting higher-paying jobs, providing equal conditions for women, and offering long-term, economically attractive jobs for young people worldwide."

The report on women in travel and tourism reveals that the sector had a slightly higher share of female employment globally in 2021 compared to other industries, with 39.3% compared to the average of 39.2%. The accommodation sector, representing over half (52%) of all female employment in the travel and tourism sector in 2019, stands out as a leading employer for women. Women in travel and tourism employment worldwide have a larger share compared to the overall economy in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. The share of women working in the sector in Africa has increased since 2010, and female employment in the overall economy in the Middle East has significantly risen.

Regarding youth in travel and tourism, the research underlines a consistent and stable growth in the number of young people directly employed by the sector, reaching a global total of 39.7 million jobs in 2019, marking a 28% increase since 2010. However, this figure has been significantly impacted by a 27% decrease in youth employment due to the effects of COVID-19. Notably, more than half of the global youth employment in the travel and tourism sector in 2021, totaling 9.2 million jobs, was in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific region exhibited a growth rate of approximately 37% in youth employment between 2010 and 2019, surpassing other regions, which averaged around 20%.

In terms of high-paying jobs in the travel and tourism sector, approximately 34% of global jobs in the sector in 2021 were classified as high-paying, representing an increase from 29.6% in 2010. Regionally, Asia-Pacific had the largest share of high-paying jobs in the sector (38.7%), followed by Africa (36.2%) and the Americas (30.6%).