Global tourism unites for women's empowerment

The initiative was presented during the First Regional Conference on Women's Empowerment in Tourism in Europe, held from October 22 to 23, 2025 in Kazakhstan, organized by UN Tourism together with the country's Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Almaty Tourism Office.

The event brought together nearly 400 participants, including representatives from international organizations, governments, businesses, and industry experts, and culminated in the adoption of the document “Almaty Call to Action,” which will serve as a guide to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in tourism worldwide.

According to Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UN Tourism, “Tourism is one of the world’s most vital economic sectors and a key source of employment and opportunities for women. But inequalities still persist. The Almaty Call to Action is a clear signal of where and how we need to do more and do it better.”

For his part, Diyar Askarov, director of the Almaty Tourism Office, emphasized that “the goal is for this conference to mark the beginning of a systemic change: more opportunities for women, more equality and more professional growth.”

The framework proposes six strategic areas of action: employment, entrepreneurship, leadership, education, community, and measurement. Its key elements include measures to reduce the gender pay gap, increase the presence of women in leadership positions, promote access to education and technology, foster support networks, and collect gender-disaggregated data to improve public policy.

For Latin America and the Caribbean, where women make up a large part of the tourism workforce, these types of initiatives offer a roadmap for moving from participation to decision-making. The proposal also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5 on gender equality, promoting more inclusive and sustainable growth.

Although women make up more than 50% of the tourism workforce, most hold informal or lower-paying jobs. The challenge will be to translate the goals of the Almaty Call to Action into effective policies, concrete investments, and consistent monitoring of results.

The adoption of this framework marks an important step towards more equitable tourism, in which women not only participate, but also lead the future of the sector.

Source: UN Tourism