Female Solo Travel Experiences: An Autoethnography on Social and Emotional Challenges With Tourism Industry Stakeholders

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14764/10.ASEAS-0112

Keywords:

Autoethnography, Female Solo Travel, Malaysia, Tourism Stakeholders, Women Empowerment

Abstract

Solo travel can contribute to women’s social and psychological empowerment, aligning with the broader goal of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment within the tourism industry. However, there is a lack of studies grounded in personal experiences investigating the challenges and constraints of female solo travelers during interactions with tourism stakeholders. This research note presents an autoethnographic study conducted in Penang, Malaysia, by the first author, documenting and analyzing her personal encounters and emotions during solo travel experiences. The study combines both evocative and analytical autoethnography. Employing an evocative autoethnographic approach extracted three main themes related to emotions: disgust and loneliness, unwantedness and defectiveness, and stress and fear. Through an analytical lens, the study further identifies and examines
the inadequacy of social-emotional expertise among tourism stakeholders, particularly concerning women’s empowerment and gender equality. Consequently, the study advocates for targeted interventions to enhance tourism stakeholders’ social-emotional proficiency. It posits that training and fostering awareness can mitigate gender stereotypes entrenched within societies. This research thus offers valuable insights into the complexities of gender dynamics within the realm of solo travel, emphasizing the pivotal role of tourism industry stakeholders in shaping female solo travelers’ perceptions and experiences.

Author Biographies

Afsaneh Rostami, Sunway University

Afsaneh Rostami is a PhD scholar at the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Sunway University, Malaysia. Her early interests in sustainable development, particularly in Iran’s agritourism and rural tourism, led her to pursue her passion for gender studies in tourism, with a particular focus on Muslim Iranian female solo travel.

Alexander Trupp, University of Innsbruck

Alexander Trupp is currently a Guest Professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and an Adjunct Professor in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA), Mahidol University, Thailand. He was the former Deputy Dean for research and sustainability (2021-2024) at the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Sunway University, Malaysia. His research is nested in the fields of social geography, mobilities, tourism, sustainability, and microbusinesses.

Marcus L. Stephenson, University of Essex

Marcus L. Stephenson is Professor and Head of the Edge Hotel School, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Essex, researching in the sociology of hospitality and tourism. He was the former Dean of the School of Hospitality at Service Management and Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Sunway University (Malaysia) (2017-2024). Marcus is co-author of Tourism and Citizenship: Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities in the Global Order (2014, Routledge), co-editor of International Tourism Development and the Gulf Cooperation Council States: Challenges and Opportunities (2017, Routledge), and editor of the Routledge Handbook of Tourism and Small Island States in the Pacific.

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Published

2024-10-28

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Research Workshop

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Copyright (c) 2024 Afsaneh Rostami, Alexander Trupp, Marcus L. Stephenson

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