A new report by UN Tourism and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) highlights the severe underrepresentation of women in tourism transport, particularly in technical, driving, and leadership roles. The Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport, released recently, provides the first global, sex-disaggregated evidence base on women working across air, land, and water passenger transport. It identifies legal, cultural, and structural barriers that limit women's access to decent work and career progression.

The findings reveal a stark gender imbalance: women constitute 36% of aviation workers but only 6% of pilots. In land passenger transport, which employs 96% of all tourism transport workers, a mere 3% are women. Similarly, women make up just 12% of water passenger transport workers, with significant gaps in managerial and technical roles. Safety, sanitation, and legal protection remain major barriers, with one in five countries lacking legal protections against workplace harassment.

In response, UN Tourism and ITF have committed to a three-year work plan to implement the report’s Action Plan for Women in Tourism Transport. This initiative aims to collaborate with governments, unions, and industry partners to enhance gender-responsive policies, improve working conditions, and expand training and leadership opportunities.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais emphasised the need for action, stating, “Our responsibility now is to ensure that the women who keep this industry moving are also able to help lead it.” ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton added, “Launching this report is not the end of the story, it is the beginning.” The partnership aims to transform evidence into actionable change, addressing the inequalities that persist in tourism transport

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