Muslim Female Travellers in the West

This study presents data from a research project on the experiences of Muslim female tourists in the UK. It forms part of an ongoing exploration of the intersection between tourism, Islam and gender. Previous research in this exploration looked at the experiences of western female tourists in Egypt, the researchers decided to reverse the focus. A narrative research approach was implemented to interview 20 participants from a variety of Muslim countries. Participants were invited to consider how their tourism experiences were influenced by their gender and their cultural background. They were also encouraged to talk about their up-bringing in a Muslim culture and how that shaped the way they see the world. Participants were also reflecting on their gender roles in their conservative societies and the impact of their travels on their lives. Initial findings revealed that gender and religion shaped and influenced the experiences of the female tourists while travelling in the UK. Whilst the experiences were mostly positive, judgement of the destination and the host were in many cases influenced by the participants’ religious views and up-brining.