A groundbreaking report from UN Tourism and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has laid bare the stark gender disparities in tourism transport, revealing that women remain severely underrepresented in technical, driving, and leadership roles across air, land, and water modes. The Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport, released this month, provides the first comprehensive, sex-disaggregated data on the sector, which employs millions worldwide.
The findings are sobering for an industry that prides itself on global connectivity. In aviation, women constitute 36% of the workforce but only 6% of pilots. The imbalance is even more pronounced in land passenger transport, which accounts for 96% of all tourism transport workers: a mere 3% are women. Similarly, women hold just 12% of jobs in water passenger transport, with significant gaps in managerial and technical positions.
Barriers and Safety Concerns
The report identifies a trio of obstacles—legal, cultural, and structural—that limit women’s access to decent work and career progression. Safety and sanitation remain critical issues, with one in five countries lacking legal protections against workplace harassment. These conditions deter women from entering or staying in transport roles, perpetuating a cycle of underrepresentation.
“Our responsibility now is to ensure that the women who keep this industry moving are also able to help lead it,” said UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais. ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton echoed the urgency: “Launching this report is not the end of the story, it is the beginning.”
Three-Year Action Plan
In response, UN Tourism and ITF have pledged a three-year work plan to implement the report’s Action Plan for Women in Tourism Transport. The initiative will collaborate with governments, unions, and industry partners—including airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, hotel groups like Marriott International and Accor, and cruise lines including Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group—to enhance gender-responsive policies, improve working conditions, and expand training and leadership opportunities.
The plan targets specific interventions: revising recruitment practices to attract more women to technical roles, ensuring safe and sanitary facilities at transport hubs, and creating mentorship programs for aspiring female leaders. For travel agents and tour operators, the report underscores the importance of promoting inclusive travel options that reflect a diverse workforce.
This push aligns with broader industry efforts to address equity, such as the WTTC and UNEP partnership to drive circular economy and nature-positive tourism, which also emphasizes social sustainability. The gender gap in transport is not just a workforce issue—it affects the quality of service and innovation across the travel ecosystem.
For aviation executives, the data on pilot representation is a call to action. Airlines like Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have already launched diversity initiatives, but the report suggests systemic change is needed. In the cruise sector, where women are often concentrated in hospitality roles rather than bridge or engineering positions, the findings highlight untapped talent pools.
The report also notes that improving gender balance can boost operational performance. Studies cited within show that diverse teams lead to better decision-making and higher employee retention—key metrics for an industry facing labor shortages post-pandemic.
As the three-year plan rolls out, stakeholders from GDS systems like Amadeus and Sabre to destination management organizations will be watching closely. The goal is to transform evidence into actionable change, ensuring that the women who drive, pilot, and manage tourism transport are equally represented at every level.
