Assessing the Glass Ceiling Effect on Women in the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Tourism is one of the major industries in Sri Lanka that under the service sector and more specifically belong to the accommodation and food service activities. The annual report 2018 highlighted that the tourism industry has recorded substantial growth 11.6 in percent in year 2018 while achieving earning to US dollars 4.4 billion. Also Sri Lanka is one of the highly attracted country with different cultures, archaeological place, adventurous places, historic places, natural places etc. There by the tourism industry witnessing an investment to fulfill the demands of increasing number of tourists. The annual report 2018 has emphasized that tourist arrivals has recorded a substantial growth of 10.3 percent in 2018 in compared to 3.2 Percent growth in year 2017. Sri Lanka has attracted more tourists through a successive agendas with heritage, culture, nature, accommodation, foods, services, recreation etc. Thereby employment opportunities also emerged in in each and every related fields of tourism such as hotels and restaurants, travel agents and tour operators, airlines, agencies providing recreation facilities, tourist shops, guides, national tourist organization, and state sector as well. Central Bank 2018 share that there was a decline in female labour force by 6.7 percent in 2018 where compared to 2017. This decline is not only from the tourism industry but also from all the economic sectors as a whole