Career incentives, career deterrents, and cultural blocks: An investigation of factors impacting female Emirati students’ perceptions of tourism

Abstract Tourism has become a main pillar of UAE’s long term economic growth and strategic diversification plans. Today travel and tourism is a fast growing sector and a large component of UAE’s economy thus generating a significant amount of employment opportunities. Yet, at present nationalization targets are not met in the tourism industry with the majority of the workforce consisting of foreign workers. This paper examines some of the human capital challenges facing Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector. Using a quantitative approach, the study investigates the tourism career perceptions of female Emirati undergraduate students. Findings indicate that students’ perception of the tourism field is influenced by three categorical factors: career incentives, career deterrents, and cultural blocks. Various statistical tests including factor analysis, t-tests, and regression analysis indicate that cultural blocks are the most prominent factor. However, it appears that cultural blocks can be reduced by the use of practical tourism work experience.