How to champion gender equality in tourism marketing

Originally written by Catherine Mack (published 3/2/2021), updated version by Malena Gatti

Photo by GLP Films

Women are natural storytellers and guardians of cultural heritage, which is why it is no surprise that they are often at the center of GLP's films about sustainable tourism. We believe that people’s stories are fundamental to creating a sustainable tourism movement. It’s not the places or organizations that create change after all, it’s people. And although you wouldn’t always know it from some travel content, women are prolific changemakers.

It is important to ensure gender equality when creating sustainable tourism content. With women making up the majority of the tourism workforce in the world, and also being some of the lowest paid, we have a long way to go. However, we can most definitely make a difference in the content creation. Here are our top six tips on how to make sure your content marketing empowers women everywhere:

Seek out gender diverse stories

When researching and creating content for a destination or brand video, we pride ourselves on thinking outside the box. Often it’s the CEO of an organization who is offered as the default spokesperson. And more often than not, these positions are held by men. If they are women, ask questions about their journey to this position. It is nearly always an interesting one. But the really good stories to be told are often far away from the board room. A good spokesperson is one with a personal connection—one whose story will resonate with audiences—regardless of their gender. 

Ensure diverse representation in your content 

So many destinations and brands are guilty of exclusively featuring thin, white, young women in their content. Yes, these are women, but most definitely not representative of all women. Prioritize featuring diverse women in your content; think about race, age, ability, size, gender expression, and every other form of intersectionality. Representation is not only an important first step when combating inequality, it’s also good for business.

Pay women

This should be a no-brainer, but ensuring equal hiring and equal pay for women on your marketing team should be a top priority. Women deserve to be paid equally for their work, and having women on your content team, from photographers to strategists to copywriters, can provide an invaluable perspective on what will appeal to female consumers.

Don’t let stereotypes limit your content

It’s surprising how many tourism destinations still insist on showing women enjoying a spa or lounging by a pool, while their male counterparts are simultaneously off on a mountain biking adventure, or at the wheel of a yacht or flashy car rental. Not only are stereotypes like these dated and annoying, they’re just plain false. The women’s market is multi-layered, and you’re just as likely to have a bachelorette party renting out that yacht, or a mother leading a family mountain biking trip.

Address and avoid sexism on social and traditional media

Protect your brand by checking the social media content that you endorse and share. If they aren’t representing women ethically, you should address this. Similarly, do you want to create content on paid media that represents women in a dated way? All these things are worth thinking about.

Support local women

Seek out and honor the women who hold up your community through their projects, cafes, small businesses, art galleries and so much more. Sometimes this takes time to research, once you start spreading the word that you are looking for interesting stories of this nature you will get some good feedback. Women’s networks are very proactive and dynamic in this way. We are inspired, for example, by Female Ranger Day, taking place annually on June 23rd, in honor of the remarkable women working on the front line of conservation across the globe.

Take a look at more of our films, many of which feature women changemakers.