Risky business? Women’s entrepreneurial responses to crisis in the tourism industry in Tanzania
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge Taylor and Francis Group
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Globally, the tourism industry has been devastated by the COVID-19
pandemic and associated changes in international travel. This paper
draws on interviews with 51 women working in the tourism sector in
Tanzania and examines gendered impacts of the pandemic on their
welfare, which instigated or accelerated entrepreneurial activities as an
attempt to protect women’s incomes and security. Women in the study
adopted one of three entrepreneurial strategies: they (re)committed to
the tourism industry, working on developing their own skills and business
ideas; they diversified their business interests to have a ‘Plan B’ in addition
to tourism to safeguard against future crises; or they moved away from
tourism altogether, focusing instead on other less volatile sectors. The
crisis caused by the pandemic exposed tourism as a risky business and
a gamble for many women, who are considering leaving the sector. This
represents a significant obstacle for the tourism industry’s recovery and
sustainability and illustrates some of the limitations of tourism entrepreneurship
for supporting and empowering women in the Global South.
Priority policy areas for supporting women to remain within tourism are
identified to help support women entrepreneurs and ensure their skills
and enthusiasm contribute to rebuilding and reshaping the sector.
Description
N/A
Keywords
COVID-19; crisis; entrepreneurship; gender; Global South; Tanzania; tourism; women
Citation
Maliva, N. S. (2017). Women entrepreneurs’ strategies and tourism development in Zanzibar. Business Management Review, January-June, 110–130.