Sexual and national boundaries in tourism

Abstract

This article examines the roles of Turkish Cypriot and migrant women in tourism employment. While the participation of Turkish Cypriot women in the tourism labor force has increased in recent years, migrant women are employed primarily in those occupations that are considered “unsuitable” for local women. It is argued that the division of female labor, particularly between migrant and local workers, highlights women's dual role as social actors and symbols of identity. A case study of a group of Rumanian croupiers examines how local ideologies of gender and sexuality operate in, and are in turn influenced by, the incorporation of migrant female workers into the workplace and the neighborhood where they live.