What is it about?
Welcome to the age of the gig economy, a revolutionary way of working that’s reshaping the tourism industry, with more flexible job opportunities. But it’s not without its challenges, especially for women. Our article analyses interviews conducted in 2020, to explore the complex relationship of gender roles and tourism gig economy work. More specifically, it looks at offering tourism experiences, like local tours or cooking classes, through platforms. The findings reveal a double-edged sword: the potential for both empowerment and vulnerability.
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Photo by Ibrahim Uzun on Unsplash
Why is it important?
As lines between formal and informal employment blur, we see the emergence of a type of ‘hybrid informal/formal’ tourism worker: the tourism platform worker. This new type of worker is effectively an informal micro-entrepreneur with a multinational ‘face’, due to advertising their services through these global companies, such as Airbnb and Withlocals. But the laws to which they must abide remain unclear. A very interesting finding, which deserves future research, is that tourism platforms are creating a new space of tourist-host relations. In this space, the work-client relationship is informal and ambiguous – something between ‘a friendly local’ and a ‘professional tour guide’ – with potential safety implications.
Perspectives
As tourism platforms evolve, we need to better understand the gender dynamics that exist within them. These are often invisible and can potentially leave women tourism platform workers vulnerable to gendered violence in various forms. Robust policies by these platforms are crucial to safeguard their workers. While the gig economy offers potential, the experiences of women highlight that progress requires more than just technology. There’s also a need to dismantle entrenched social attitudes and structures that continue to hinder women’s full participation.
Fiona Bakas
Universidade Lusofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘You ensure your own safety’: gender, fear and tourism labour in the gig economy in Turkiye, Gender Place & Culture, March 2024, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/0966369x.2024.2327999.
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