Women and Sustainable Tourism: Experiences of Environmental Protection and Conservation in the Philippines

Abstract

Environmental protection and conservation have been closely linked with the promotion of sustainable tourism across destinations. This is underpinned by the assumption that the environment and tourism have an interdependent relationship – where tourism activities need to support the preservation and conservation of environmental areas so that such economic activities can be sustained. That is a balance must be struck between the two. Within these two areas, women have been recognized to play a crucial role – in tourism, women were seen to dominate the industry's workforce globally; in environmental efforts, women were believed to play a key role in supporting such initiatives across societies. In both areas, women's efforts, despite being crucial to the achievement of sustainability, are often perceived as small and thus overlooked. Despite these, little has been said about their experiences in promoting sustainable tourism. To contribute to discourses promoting the idea of “thinking small,” this chapter looks at women's tourism-related environmental efforts that are often seen as small and overlooked, alongside their experiences in being involved in these initiatives.

Citation

Gutierrez, E.L.M. (2024), "Women and Sustainable Tourism: Experiences of Environmental Protection and Conservation in the Philippines", Rivera, J.P.R., Gutierrez, E.L.M. and Roxas, F.M.Y. (Ed.) Revisiting Sustainable Tourism in the Philippines (New Perspectives in Tourism and Hospitality Management), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 149-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-678-820241008