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“As we celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow, I want to highlight the crucial role of gender equality in achieving sustainable and inclusive tourism development. Recent publications by the Gender, Entrepreneurship and Social Policy Institute (GESPi) at the �鶹��Ƶ has offered timely insights into this critical area. These works emphasize the need for a gender lens approach that recognises the unique challenges women face in tourism, from climate change and digital access to structural inequalities.

“This year's IWD theme, "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress" resonates deeply with our research. As a sector, we need to invest in:

• Gender-transformative approaches that address systemic inequalities and empower women in the tourism industry.
• Intersectionality to understand how various forms of discrimination interact and impact women differently.
• Women's representation and career progression at all levels, alongside increased access to resources and support for female entrepreneurs.
• Quality data collection to inform evidence-based policies and interventions that promote gender equality in tourism.

“By investing in these areas, we can create a more inclusive and equitable tourism industry where women can thrive and contribute to a sustainable future for all. Let’s use this International Women's Day as a springboard for action. Let's commit to dismantling barriers and creating a tourism sector that truly empowers women.”