Future Higher Education in Tourism Studies and the Labor Market: Gender Perspectives on Expectations and Experiences

Abstract

Although women prevail among tourism graduates in Portugal, men earn higher salaries and fill most top-level positions in the tourism sector. This study diagnoses disparities between male and female tourism graduates in the following domains: areas of activity, positions, and salary. Expectations of students are compared to the real situation of tourism graduates. Data from a survey covering all Portuguese higher education institutions with tourism degrees were used. It is concluded that male graduates have more favorable situations in employment than female graduates do and that the reality in the labor market is far from corresponding to enrolled students' expectations. © 2012 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.