Women in the hotel industry: what’s missing from this picture?

The hotel and tourism industry remains male-dominated, particularly in the upper echelons of management. While this situation is changing worldwide, it remains more entrenched in Middle Eastern countries like Jordan. This article reviews the literature on women in the hotel and tourism industries in order to contextualize the situation in Jordan, where a significant and growing government-supported tourism sector makes issues of gender and industry practice especially timely. While not explicitly reinforced by organizational policy, gender inequity remains embedded in cultural traditions, with women typically relegated to service roles. Meanwhile, female managers are often valued for their "soft" skills and democratic management styles. Gender composition of the hotel workforce is analyzed, and the directions for future investigation in the area are suggested.