Women’s Role in Sustainable Tourism in Sri Lanka
With its pristine beaches, mosaic landscape and picturesque topography, Sri Lanka has so much to offer for the eager tourists. Almost 10 years after the end of its civil war, Sri Lanka was named the best country in the world to visit in 2019 by Lonely Planet.
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More than ever, Sri Lanka government has identified “tourism” as a priority sector in its mission to achieve economic growth and it is projected to be the biggest revenue generating industry in Sri Lanka by 2025 (Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020).
However, mass tourism has its own negative impacts such as environmental and socio-cultural degradation. Thankful to the global awareness on environmental issues governments are now more aware and responsive. Sri Lankan government with its forerunner in tourism, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has resorted to sustainable tourism as an important step towards in preserving and conserving the island’s outstanding natural and cultural heritage to safeguard the destination for our people and our visitors for now and for the future.
Successive governments, while encouraging domestic and foreign investments, promoted sustainable conservation practices through schemes like ‘National Sustainable Tourism Certification Scheme,
Learn more about sustainable tourism:
https://sustainabletourism.net/
Director General of SLTDA, speaks on Sustainable Tourism Programme.html
Why sustainable Tourism?
Commemorating this year’s world tourism day in September 27th, Sri Lanka adapted world tourism day theme which is an important initiative, especially to grass root levels. This year’s theme ‘Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all’ discusses why tourism’s role in creating decent work is important but often undervalued and segregated, despite the fact that tourism generates 10% of world jobs. Especially women’s role in sustainable tourism is questioned here.
Empowering women to participate in economic development at all levels and sectors is essential to building strong economies and stable societies. In developing countries like ours, where women have lesser access to productive economic work and often greater household responsibilities, the low entry barriers to the sector, entrepreneurship, flexible working hours and part-time work present potential opportunities for employment. However, the real situation speaks volumes on lack of a sustainable role for women in tourism sector. Even though women form the majority of the population in Sri Lanka, only 30 per cent of economically active constitute women, which mean that the majority of females are economically inactive.
Globally 46 per cent of the tourism industry workforce are women but the lower female LFP in Sri Lanka and lack of gender statistics in tourism sector indicates that in Sri Lanka women are scarcely involved in tourism sector jobs or if not they are restricted in low-pay, low-skill jobs with restricted upward mobility. There are some significant reasons which affect to the less female participation in the tourism industry. Lack of education opportunities, outdated gender specialized curriculums and resources that may prevent women benefitting from tourism development. Women mainly work in lower-paid clerical and cleaning jobs while men work as hotel and restaurant managers, tour operators and other managerial positions. It may lead to women being concentrated in lower pedestals of tourism value chain and prevent them from joining into managerial positions. Also lack of knowledge on foreign languages, lack of professional knowledge sees lower demand or low cost female labour deffering to affirmative action to include women in today’s sustainable tourism.
On the other hand existing social and cultural situation also prevents women’s meaningful involvement in the sector. Patriarchal values and gender ideologies that adversely impact women are still predominant in Sri Lanka. Negative and outdated perceptions of the society on women being employed in jobs related to tourism has created a stigma around women in hospitality sector and lack of support systems has created a sense of demotivation among women themselves. Dual work of the female, dominant reproductive role, discrimination in the work environment especially in the tourism industry where lack of flexible hours allocated has resulted in less female participation.
There are many vacancies for females in this industry, tourism industry has the ability to create many formal as well as informal jobs. If we can bring the tourism value chain status of Sri Lanka to the levels of countries like Malaysia, Singapore and turkey it will not only improve female LFP but also impact on poverty reduction in rural/ smaller communities. This can be done in many ways like increasing formal training opportunities, involving females at higher management level, practicing affirmative action to target and empower women, scheduling flexible hours to perform their job at any time, allowing more autonomy in handling dual roles of work and increasing awareness of women’s important role in the economy.
See more related articles:
Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010.html
Women in Tourism - G Adventures.html
Gender Responsible Tourism 2018.html
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iVoice Idea Competition
iVoice is an online platform that encourages youth to discuss social issues and to drive innovative solutions. The platform features stories relating to social issues in Sri Lanka, which are submitted by iVoice contributors and the general public.
The objective of the iVoice Idea Competition is to encourage youth to play a participatory role in solving social issues. After reading a story featured on iVoice, youth can submit their ‘idea’ to help to address the social issue that is highlighted in the story. The ten best ideas will receive seed capital of Rs. 100,000/- each, and mentoring, to support in implementing their ideas.
The majority of articles featured on iVoice relate to a social issue. These stories have a ‘Submit Your Idea’ button at the end of the article, inviting youth to share their innovative ideas on how to address these social issues.
Submitted ideas must be innovative and unique. The ideas must also be practical and implementable by 31 December 2017.
The deadline for submitting an idea is 3 September 2017.
To submit an idea, the following details must be provided through the online form:
Note: Participants can submit any number of ideas; however, only one idea per article is permitted.
Ideas will be evaluated through a competitive process.
03 Sept 2017: Closing of submissions at 23:59 on 3 September 2017
06 Sept 2017: Shortlisting of 20 ideas
13 Sept 2017: Shortlisted applicants to present their ideas in further detail to the judging panel
21 Sept 2017: The ten winning ideas will be announced at the Award Ceremony at which Rs. 100,000/- seed capital will be granted to each of the winning applicants
Evaluation criteria includes creativity of the proposed idea to address the given social issue, and feasibility of implementation within the stipulated budget and timeframe.
The number of votes received per idea will not be a deciding factor.
The judging panel’s decision will be final.
iVoice Idea Competition
iVoice is an online platform that encourages youth to discuss social issues and to drive innovative solutions. The platform features stories relating to social issues in Sri Lanka, which are submitted by iVoice contributors and the general public.
The objective of the iVoice Idea Competition is to encourage youth to play a participatory role in solving social issues. After reading a story featured on iVoice, youth can submit their ‘idea’ to help to address the social issue that is highlighted in the story. The ten best ideas will receive seed capital of Rs. 100,000/- each, and mentoring, to support in implementing their ideas.
The majority of articles featured on iVoice relate to a social issue. These stories have a ‘Submit Your Idea’ button at the end of the article, inviting youth to share their innovative ideas on how to address these social issues.
Submitted ideas must be innovative and unique. The ideas must also be practical and implementable by 31 December 2017.
The deadline for submitting an idea is 3 September 2017.
To submit an idea, the following details must be provided through the online form:
Note: Participants can submit any number of ideas; however, only one idea per article is permitted.
Ideas will be evaluated through a competitive process.
03 Sept 2017: Closing of submissions at 23:59 on 3 September 2017
06 Sept 2017: Shortlisting of 20 ideas
13 Sept 2017: Shortlisted applicants to present their ideas in further detail to the judging panel
21 Sept 2017: The ten winning ideas will be announced at the Award Ceremony at which Rs. 100,000/- seed capital will be granted to each of the winning applicants
Evaluation criteria includes creativity of the proposed idea to address the given social issue, and feasibility of implementation within the stipulated budget and timeframe.
The number of votes received per idea will not be a deciding factor.
The judging panel’s decision will be final.
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