Barriers to women’s economic empowerment in sustainable tourism: Evidence from Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

Tourism is widely recognized as a sector with the potential to promote inclusive and sustainable development, yet women’s participation often remains limited by structural and cultural barriers. The purpose of this article is to analyze the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in sustainable tourism and to consider how addressing these challenges can advance women’s economic empowerment in the eastern part of Indonesia. The specific research aim is to identify and prioritize the most critical constraints through the integration of multiple stakeholder perspectives. The study applied a hybrid methodological design combining the Delphi technique, the Q-sort method and thematic analysis. Data were collected from experts, policymakers, community leaders and women entrepreneurs between January and June 2025. The findings reveal that women face interlocking barriers: restricted access to finance and credit, socio-cultural norms limiting mobility and leadership, weak institutional frameworks, and insufficient training and digital literacy. These constraints are compounded by poor infrastructure and limited market access in remote areas. The study contributes to scholarship by applying a multi-method approach and situating women’s empowerment within the underexplored context of Eastern Indonesia. Policy recommendations include gender-sensitive financial inclusion, accessible capacity-building initiatives, and strengthened women’s cooperatives to foster agency and leadership in tourism.