Does It Matter? The Influence of Leadership, Motivation and Empowerment on the Career Progression of Women in tourism–A South Africa Case

Abstract

Gender inequalities persist in all economic sectors around the world, and women do not have the same economic possibilities as men. According to the World Bank, the tourist sector provides significant opportunities for women's empowerment by allowing them to rise in leadership and entrepreneurship roles (Twining-Ward L, Zhou V, Women and tourism: designing for inclusion, 2017). This research intends to investigate how leadership, motivation, and empowerment affect women's career progression in the South African tourism sector. The study was quantitative and descriptive, allowing researchers to evaluate the impact of leadership, motivation, and empowerment on women's career progression in the tourism sector in South Africa. Women working in destination marketing organisations (DMOs), hospitality, business tourism, travel agencies, and tour operators across the country provided primary data for this study. The findings of this study show that leadership of women in tourism did not meet the statistical criteria, and only motivation and empowerment of women in tourism are therefore discussed. This study is expected to address a gap in the body of knowledge on women in tourism in the South African tourism sector, as well as contribute to the rising global discourse on women's motivation and empowerment in tourism.