Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Tourism Development

Abstract

This study identifies the facets of women empowerment which could be harnessed to bring paradigm shift in tourism industry and simultaneously advance gender parity in the areas with rich tourism resorts in Pakistan. The data were collected through survey questionnaire from women aged 18+ living five regions of Pakistan which are rich in cultural heritage and tourist attractions. The findings show that psychological and economic empowerment are occupying central stage in enhancing women's developmental participation in tourism development in Pakistan. The political and social aspects of women empowerment also play a crucial role in stirring tourism activities. Most importantly, empirical evidence demonstrates that cultural traditionality (CT) positively moderates the impact of women empowerment on the development of tourism in a way that the participatory role of empowered women higher in CT is significantly magnified towards the creation of sustainable tourist environment which promotes local culture and brings benefits to local communities.