Introduction
The universal appeal of sports and tourism is without doubt. The two activities play a major role in our lives. It is estimated that about 700 million persons took a trip to foreign lands in the year two thousand. In the process they contributed over four hundred and seventy six USD, to the World economy. In a study (Harris, 2005) the choice and focus of tourism has also shifted as from just being a purely leisure activity but also health based activities have been in cooperated into tourism. Sports activities are also being factors that tourists choose when looking for destinations. The two activities are intertwined and one contributes immensely to the other. Many citizens in developed nations in cooperate sports tourism as part of their retinue. Patterns of both activities are hard to trace on a worldwide scale but we can agree that both are very universal. Apart from the economic benefits brought about by the two activities, there are also health and social benefits that accompany them. Members of the society can be kept pre occupied and away from bad vices. As they say that the idle mind is the devils workshop, sports, tourism and other activities related to them are good for the society.
Politics of Gender in Sports and Tourism
In the book by Bull and Weed (2003), Developing countries, there are sports that have been restricted to certain genders. Due to cultural restrictions and repressive laws set by dictatorship regimes, many ladies do not get the chance to compete against each other in certain sports. The issue of gender in sports has always been used to marginalize members of certain sex from enjoying the full benefits that accompanies one, when he/she participates in either of the activities. A good example of discrimination is how ladies are often restricted from wearing certain sports costumes during competitions. It is also due to religious restrictions that ladies can find themselves wearing extra clothing despite of the environmental conditions that they could be suffering from. In a study (Harris, 2005) this applies mostly to Muslim ladies who are always seen their religious clothing even when running or jogging. The issue of gender also plays a part in tourism whereby we also see religious restrictions playing a role in limiting members of a certain sex from enjoying tourism. The synergy between sports and tourism cannot be ignored and hence it requires that gender equality be respected in these two fields. I am happy to note that since the sensitization of gender rights all over the world, we have started to see some flickers of hope through lady athletes and also ladies competing in once men dominated games such as football and rallying. We have also seen men enter participate in tourism activities that were once thought to be connected to ladies. Men these days are becoming fashion tourists.
Case Study
Gender politics especially play a role in the running of both sports and tourist trusts. Even after efforts have been done in order to ensure that gender equality is upheld, the politics of gender has always remained unresolved. The issue of underrepresentation has always been a stumbling block towards women empowerment in sports and tourist activities. At the top of the organizational structure, ladies continue to be left out in making decisions that directly impact on them. The issue also affects those men who convey their masculinity through engaging in either sports or tourist activities that are not socially and widely acceptable. These forms of gender restrictions inhibit the growth of sports and tourism in our countries. Scholars have come up with various solutions in countering the current state of events. This has seen some development or change in culture in some organizations. In the book by Bull and Weed (2003), a study where both men and ladies were tested revealed that both ladies and men participated into the two activities for different reasons. While ladies participated in order to socialize and keep fit, most men used the two activities for purposes of competing against each other. Males perceived that the two activities of sports and tourism or sports tourism, enabled them to practice their leadership skills and express their gender masculinity. As for the females, they perceived that the two activities will enable them to socialize
Conclusion
Members of all genders should be given a chance to engage and to hold equal number of posts in sports and tourism bodies. This will ensure that the politics of gender is reduced and a favorable environment for us to develop the two activities is maintained.
References
Bull, C., Hoose, J. and Weed, M. (2003). An Introduction to Leisure Studies, London: Prentice Hall.
Harris, D. (2005) Key Concepts in Leisure Studies, London: Sage.