ILO: Tourism brings in the money, but gender inequality in the sector remains

The global tourism industry generates nearly a tenth of the world's gross domestic product, but gender inequality remains widespread in the sector, the International Labor Organization said in its latest report.

According to “International Perspectives on Women and Work in Hotels, Catering and Tourism,” the hotel, catering and tourism (HCT) sector has become a major source of employment around the world, supplying 260 million jobs globally and producing 9 percent of the world's GDP.

The report also noted that tourism serves as the first entry point in the workforce for many, especially women, the youth, migrant workers and rural populations in developing countries.

However, the ILO also pointed out that while women make up at least 70 percent of all workers in the tourism sector, “their situation is far from ideal as they tend to earn less than men and fewer of them occupy managerial posts”, with many working lower-paid jobs in housekeeping and customer contact.

Women not getting enough compensation for their work might also be due to the fact that informal work is quite common in the industry, especially for women, the report said: "[M]any tourism companies are small and family enterprises, so the line separating women's paid and unpaid work is often unclear."

"Women may contribute to income-generating activities, but they may not receive appropriate remuneration for their work," it also said.

In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that foreign and domestic tourists spent $3.82 billion last year, up from $2.99 billion in 2011. The department also expects tourism receipts to hit $8 billion if the country achieves its goal of getting 10 million tourists by 2016. — BM, GMA News