Tourism is one of the most important economic activities in the world, employing large numbers of women in industrialized and developing countries. Gender, Work and Tourism examines the central role played by women in tourism. It discusses the nature of their work and the ways in which tourism creates tensions between the attitude and conduct of tourists and the beliefs and behaviour of local women.

By studying a range of tourist destinations across the world, Gender, Work and Tourism demonstrates how women have been excluded from some occupations and how their work in others is associated with ideologies of gender and social sexuality. Gender, Work and Tourism integrates the themes of gender, work and tourism, linking theoretical literature on gender and work with studies of gendered work in tourism. It will make a major contribution to the study of women's roles in the tourism industry.