Title: Challenges for women in tourism and hospitality entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review and future research agenda

Authors: Saima Kareem; Sarah Hussain; Sujood

Addresses: Faculty of Management Studies, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, 110025, India ' Faculty of Management Studies, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, 110025, India ' Faculty of Management Studies, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, 110025, India

Abstract: This systematic literature review (SLR) offers an overview of the challenges that women encounter in tourism and hospitality entrepreneurship. The review adheres to the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to conduct an extensive evaluation of scholastic publications in the Scopus database. The results indicate a rise in research into the challenges that women face in tourism and hospitality entrepreneurship. However, the existing corpus of scholarship on the subject matter remains limited. This study further proposes ways to overcome these challenges while also advocating for more inclusivity. The findings provide valuable insights for government agencies and policymakers. It also suggests research agendas for both researchers and practitioners. Moreover, the study aligns with three United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs): SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reducing Inequalities).

Keywords: women entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; challenges; gender equality; tourism and hospitality; SLR; systematic literature review; SDGs; sustainable development goals.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2025.144169

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2025 Vol.15 No.1, pp.1 - 18

Received: 06 Mar 2024
Accepted: 14 Jul 2024
Published online: 30 Jan 2025 *

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