MENA Newswire News Desk: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, has unveiled a report that starkly illustrates the pandemic’s heavy toll on women and youth employment within the global travel and tourism sector. The report, titled “Social Trends in Travel and Tourism Employment,” was released on September 23, 2024, during a summit in Belém, Brazil.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly 70 million job losses in the travel and tourism industry, with women and young workers bearing the brunt of the impact. Women and youth were overrepresented in sectors hit hardest by the crisis, such as hospitality and food services. While the industry has largely rebounded, the report revealed that by 2022, the sector employed 42 million women and just over 16 million young people.
These numbers mark a significant decrease from the 48.4 million women and nearly 19 million youth employed in 2019, representing a 13% and 15% drop, respectively. Despite the ongoing recovery, the report emphasizes the need for more inclusive measures to support these vulnerable groups. It highlights that the sector remains crucial for under-represented workers, but further action is needed to ensure a more equitable recovery.
The findings, based on employment trends from 185 economies, underscore the sector’s potential to drive inclusive economic growth. The report calls for a focus on sustainable job creation to prevent women and young people from being disproportionately impacted in future crises. According to the latest Economic Impact Research (EIR) from WTTC, travel and tourism’s GDP contribution grew by 29.1% above pre-pandemic levels in 2023, outpacing the global average, which remained 4.1% below.
However, the social recovery lagged behind, with women and young people more likely to remain in informal, part-time, or low-wage roles without security or advancement opportunities. Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, commented, “This report underscores the incredible potential of travel and tourism to foster inclusive growth, but it also highlights the urgent need for concerted action. Women and youth are the backbone of our industry, yet they continue to face significant barriers.”
Simpson added that investments in skills development, inclusive policies, and entrepreneurship are critical to unlocking the full potential of these groups, ensuring the sector leads in creating meaningful, sustainable employment. The report further notes the persistent underrepresentation of women in high-wage and leadership roles, with a gender split in employment nearly mirroring broader global trends.
Young workers, who form a larger proportion of the travel and tourism workforce than in other sectors, continue to struggle with securing stable employment. Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, welcomed the report’s findings, reiterating the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting youth and female employment in the travel and tourism sector as part of its Vision 2030.