1. 112006 Kwok Chun Lok, Alicia
112010 Au Hiu Sze, Celia
Tourism as a Site of Contestation of the Definition of
“Female”

2. Tourism :
a Site of Contestation of the Definition of
“Female”
*On the one hand:
*How is the stereotype of female reinforced in tourism
industry?
*On the other hand:
*How is the stereotype of female in Tourism being
challenged?

3. *
*Travelling is masculinized as having “adventures” and
“risk-taking” & “bravery”
*“[Tourism] is a set of presumptions about manhood,
education and pleasure”(Enloe,2000,p.28)
*Originally, travelling is for men to grow and become
mature, not intended for women
*Women: Stays at home and looks after children
* “Good girls go to Heaven. Bad girls go everywhere”
(Enloe,2000, P.21)
The stereotypes of female reinforced in tourism
industry
- A brief introduction of the gendered tourism

4. *
* Example :
*New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese
Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mount
Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at
11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953
*The first couple to climb up the Mountain
(Rosenberg)

5. *
Only MALE is mentioned in such pioneering
journey & in history. How about the female?

6. *For male tourists , “Women are something
to be experienced” (Enloe,2000,P.28)
*Male tourists might opt for alcohol, entertainments & sex
escape(to be sexually experienced/mature)
*Visit bars and pubs
*E.g. Moulin Rouge in France
Enjoy Can Can dance
Male gaze in sexualized female bodies
Though tourists of both sexes can go there
(maybe out of curiosity)
Originally: For man’s sexual desire only
The stereotypes of female reinforced in
tourism industry
-Female and Sex (targeted at the local
women)

7. *
*Case Study:
*Red Light District in Netherland as a
tourist site
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
rsKe3rMc5fo
(0:47)
The stereotypes of female reinforced
in tourism industry
-Female and Sex

8. *Female and Sex: Sex Tourism
*Window “shopping” for sex services
*=> reinforced male gaze
*=> female bodies are being commodified
*=> Sell herself like the mannequins sell clothes
*Inferiority of the locals; superiority of the foreign male tourists

12. *Fordism of the red light district tour
Making expectations, anticipations and fantasy
over the prostitutes/women in general
*“ Our local guides will show you the world's first
specialized condom shop (The Condomerie), a
statue for sexworkers, hidden art, the prostitutes,
an erotic theatre (Casa Rosso) and much more.”
*http://amsterdamredlightdistricttour.com/#ixzz2x
M39gcsF
The male gaze and tourist gaze
reinforced in the packaged tour

13. *The red light district tour
*Extraordinary (away from everyday)
* ways in the red light district
packaged tour to make the place
extraordinary
The male gaze and tourist gaze
reinforced in the packaged tour

14.  Women (prostitutes) => Dangerous
 Classified as “dark side” of the City (then what about casinos
and pubs?)
 Locals: “friendly”, “knowledgeable” and “reliable”
 => Superficial social relations (like a trustworthy “friend” or
“brother”)
 Has to rely on the local guide in order to be “safe”
 Make the place sounds like more dangerous and risky
=> Don’t go by yourself alone!

15. *In the packaged tour in which you are taught to
gaze/having fantasy( sexualized and dangerous)
over the prostitutes,
*More than the gaze by male
As well as female tourists
View the prostitutes as if they are sex objects
=>Male gaze is being legitimized by such tours
 The stereotypical relation between female
and sex is reinforced
The male gaze reinforced in the
packaged tour

16. *
*Condoms are one of the “must-have” souvenirs
from Holland
*“Sexualized” Holland => as a sex paradise
*Encouraging people to come and gaze at the
women there
The consumerism reinforcing the
stereotypical relation between female
and sex

17. How Stereotyping can be
reinforced?

18. Reinforced Femininity and Post-
Colonialism
• Third World Countries(esp. the former colonies) , while
promoting their tourism industry, uses feminine images to
portray their lands
• (Myanmar Tourism Showcase) 2013, (Wonderful Indonesia ,
Bali )2013
• Weaving and Women: Household confinement “Home”
• “Innocent smile” of the local women

19. Reinforced Femininity and Post-
Colonialism
• Imagery Given:
Weak, Submissive and even obedient
Allow themselves to be gazed upon as a feminine,
desired object
Catering the Imperial Gaze
 The Superiority of the white (colonizer) over the
locals
 Try to retain the colonial authority in the present

20. Gendered Landscapes –
Feminine Landscapes
• What is this excerpt trying to tell you?
(Pritchard & Morgan, 2000)

21. Reinforced Femininity and Post-
Colonialism
• Portrayed as exotic, untouched and virgin land
Allow to be exploited/explored/liberated by
Imperial Gaze (White Men)

22. Is White Female guilty of this gaze?
• Seemingly they don’t  The feminine image
depicted by countries seemingly caters to Imperial
Gaze (Patriarchal)
• However, White Female tourists also possess the
Imperial gaze (Superiority over the local women)
• Served by the local women, Ability to travel

24. Is White Female guilty of this gaze?
• Women, especially solo tourists, use tourism as a
way to empower themselves from their normal lives
•  from the Imperial gaze, seeing the exploitation of
the local women as their sources of empowerment
• “White women were meant to come away from the
fair feeling grateful for the benefits of civilization
they enjoyed.”(Enloe,2000, P.27)
• Gaze upon their destination/the local “traditional”
women with the same gaze as male tourists do

25. The Stereotypes of Female in
Tourism being Challenged
Subversive or not?

26. Challenging the Sex Tourism
• Sex Tourism, Male Gaze and its Fantasy over
Women’s body
•  Women lost their subjectivity of their bodies
• FEMEN: Topless female activists opposed to legalizing
prostitution in Ukraine
• “In the beginning, there was the body, feeling of the woman’s body,
feeling of joy because it is so light and free. Then there was injustice, so
sharp that you feel it with your body, it immobilizes the body, hinders its
movements, and then you find yourself your body’s hostage.”
Not subversive: patriarchal in the sense that they are exposing
their bodies to cater for male gaze…?

27. Challenging the stereotype of female’s
restriction of mobility
Female = “ In many societies being feminine has been defined as sticking
close to home. Masculinity, by contrast, has been the passport for travel”
(Enloe,2000, P.21)
Even if women have to travel, they are departing from a
home to another home( accompanied by the male )
 never leave “home”(in physical sense)
Propagated by the tourism industry: “There's nothing like
Australia”(2013), “Tourism Tasmania” (2011), “Tourism Fiji”
(2013)


28. Challenging the stereotype of
female’s restriction of mobility
The restriction of mobility( home, male companion)
is challenged with the concept of female “explorer”
/tourist
“they dare to travel without male protection”
(Enloe,2000, P.23)
•“Incredible India”(Indian Tourism Board)2012

29. Challenging the stereotype of female’s restriction of
mobility
• (although she is a clumsy “adventurer” /tourist
suggesting that she is not up to the male standard of
being a good adventurer
• And she is guided by man: still a biased view: female
dependence)
• The contestation: Redefining “women”
• Woman travelling alone
• riding motorcycle women’s mobility
• Mountaineering the joy of being alone
• (freedom) /having achievements
during the trip

30. Challenging the Imperial Gaze of the
white tourists
Challenges :
Defining the “non-white” female tourist
“Your Moment is Waiting” (Kerala Tourism) 2010
(Although objectification of women is still present)
Featuring a non-white female tourist
Intimate , peaceful and spiritual relationship between
the non-white female tourist and the nature/the locals
there no Imperial Gaze

31. Conclusion
• Although Tourism can be a site of
contestation of the definition of “Female”
• Only minute challenges can be made within
the patriarchy
• “The very structure of international tourism
needs patriarchy to survive” (Enloe,2000, P.21)

32. References
• Incredible India.(2012) Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulE2CbvCCG
0
• Colorado Tourism.(2012)Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
1yXdOufzKE
• Your Moment is Waiting.(2010) Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axHn7KDxM
8U
• FEMEN. Retrieved from http://femen.org

33. References:
• Wonderful Indonesia | Bali, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjP4QdZK7tc
• Video about Vietnam Tourism , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwqbjMVk-ZQ
• Pritchard, A., & Morgan, N. (2000). Privileging the male gaze: Gendered tourism landscapes.
(University of Wales Institude, Cardiff, UK) Retrieved from http://www.doc88.com/p-
643605604111.html
• Jamaica in the 80's as in the Jamaica Tourist Board ad ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYjGTa2ZnS4

34. *
*Blake, M. (2012, Nov 27). British man becomes
first person to visit all 201 countries.. without
using a plane read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
2239087/graham-hughes-british-man-person-
visit-201-countries-without-using-plane.html
*Coinseurotrip. (Performer). (2011, Mar 2).
Amsterdam Red Light District HD [Web Video].
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsKe3rMc5
fo
*Enloe, C. (2000). “On the Beach.” Bananas,
Beaches, and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of
International Politics. Berkeley: University of
California Press. 19-41.

35. *
*Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). The first to climb mount
everest. Retrieved from
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/qt/
mteverest.htm