Women in New Profession: A Study of Women in the Tourism Industry of Kerala

Tourism is one of the fastest developing businesses globally, growing on an scale of 4–6 per cent annually (UNWTO, 2004). Originating from the Eurpoean tradition of the ‘Grand Tour’ in the mid-1800s, it has flourished on account of the revolution in the civil aviation industry, coupled with globalisation that pave wave for ‘open skies’ policy, as well as the emergence of the WTO that opened up borders for trade and commerce. In Kerala, it exposes the beautiful ecology - beaches, backwaters, lakes, lush green forests pristine mountains, wildlife, etc. spiced with arts, culture, and health, especially ayurveda. Over the years, women too have worked their way into the workforce in the tourism industry of Kerala, which was once predominantly male. The study exposes the employment in the tourism industry for women which ranges from front offices, F&B, housekeeping, personnel, landscaping and gardening, guides, transport - air, land and water, in the organized sector, down to the wayside shops, souvenir shops, food path hawkers, street vendors, florists, dhabas and teashops in the unorganized sector. The study evidences the factors which has motivated women to transform themselves from being a docile homemaker, into becoming an active employee in the tourism sector. It gives an insight of how mental blocks, social ethos, patriarchy and traditions, moderate women engagement in tourism, in Kerala.