Gender in tourism

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is an autonomous body of the European Union, established to contribute to and strengthen the promotion of gender equality, including gender mainstreaming in all EU policies and the resulting national policies, and the fight against discrimination based on sex, as well as to raise EU citizens’ awareness of gender equality.

The seat of the European Institute for Gender Equality is in Vilnius (Lithuania). It was officially launched in June 2010. While its contribution to economic and social development is widely acknowledged in the literature, over the years little attention has been paid to how the tourism industry benefits women and men, as well as to the relation between tourism and gender equality. According to the UNWTO, tourism presents both opportunities and challenges for women, which makes the gender equality perspective highly relevant.