Asian Genders in Tourism

Book excerpt: While gender research in tourism has become increasingly important within Western academic circles, little has been written from an Asian perspective. This book is the first to address this knowledge gap and to fully explore Asian gendered identities and tourism. The chapters reflect upon the role of tourism in producing, reiterating and resisting existing gendered structures of power in Asia. The authors attempt to reconcile both Asian and Western perspectives on gender using their own personal experiences of understanding and negotiating Western and Asian identities and practices. The book paves the way for important reflections about the ontological and epistemological meanings of ‘Asia’, ‘gender’ and ‘tourism’. It is an important resource for researchers from a range of disciplines including tourism, leisure studies, Asian studies and feminist and gender studies, as well as for professionals working in the tourism industry.