Exploring the career challenges of female tour guides in the Sri Lankan travel and tourism industry: Social Role Theory perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to understand what barriers have resulted in the poor representation of female tour guides in the Sri Lankan travel and tourism industry. The study's design employed a qualitative approach to gain in-depth insights into the experiences of female tour guides, utilising thematic analysis as the analytical strategy. Three main themes emerged from the qualitative research findings of the interviewed female national tour guides: the feminine gender identity of female tour guides, the gender role of women, and gender stereotypes. Firstly, the feminine gender identity of female tour guides presents how femininity contradicts the tour guide's occupational role in the Sri Lankan context. Secondly, gender stereotypes prevalent in familial, work, and broader societal spheres hinder the success of female tour guides in their careers. Finally, socially constructed gender roles impose additional obstacles for women pursuing careers as tour guides. Consequently, these constraints impede women's fulfilment of their social role, creating a challenging atmosphere for being a female tour guide in Sri Lanka. This research suggested that it is the responsibility of government bodies to ensure equal opportunities for females to take up the tour guide occupation.