Empowering women and sustainable tourism: a case study of Western Iran

Analyzing the causality between women’s empowerment and tourism sustainability has been a prominent challenge in numerous studies. These inquiries have predominantly focused on two perspectives: the impact of tourism development on women’s empowerment and, vice versa, and the influence of empowerment on sustainable tourism. However, examining this issue is particularly crucial in societies grappling with unsustainable tourism development and substantial barriers to women’s empowerment. Hence, this study aimed to assess the current state of women’s empowerment and their contribution to sustainable tourism. This study uses a mixed research method to explore the relationship between sustainable tourism and women’s empowerment across four sections. The study’s findings indicate that the condition of tourism and its level of competitiveness are not favourable. Furthermore, women’s empowerment has encountered numerous obstacles across economic, social, cultural, political, psychological, and skill dimensions. The institutional environment and social-cultural factors emerge as pivotal in women’s empowerment. Ultimately, enhancing women’s empowerment across economic, political, and social realms can contribute to the sustainability of tourism. Hence, the active participation of women in the institutional environment can contribute to both the empowerment and sustainability of tourism.