Implementation of SDGs 5 and 8 of the 2030 Agenda in the Tourism Industry in the Countries of the European Union

Abstract

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) developed the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to improve the living conditions of nations and peoples. The World Tourism Organization has integrated it into this sector. Society can assume that implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the production structure, especially for tourism, will improve the working and economic conditions of the workforce. The main objective of this research is to explore this industry in the EU-27 from 2009 to 2018, its evolution from an employment perspective and its situation according to the SDGs. This work focuses on SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). The results show that, in terms of employment and wage differentials, the Eastern EU-27 countries generally score higher on SDG 5 and SDG 8. However, lower wages weighted by gross domestic product per capita (GDPpc) could be an opportunity to achieve a higher share within the EU-27. Finally, the authors conclude that there is a need to raise awareness of the importance of the tourism industry and public sector action to promote decent and stable jobs and to reduce the recent gender pay gap.