Living with Colours and Pride: Tourism, Ethnicity, and Gender in Yunnan, China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear autors:

The submitted manuscript has a very interesting and necessary issue in tourism research. Therefore, it is of great interest to researchers, scholarships and professionals in tourism.

The abstract describes interesting research from 1995 to 2019 based on 90 interviews and 30 focus groups in Yunnan in relation to gender and tourism issue. I congratulate you for this work.

Therefore, However, I think that the introduction is very brief, and you should describe more clearly the general and specific objectives of the paper. The literary revision is adequate although it is also short. The methodology does not clearly describe qualitative and/or quantitative methods and research techniques (programs or softwares, ... has been used (SPSS, Excell, Atlas.ti, etc.). The data presentation does not include a total results (tables, graphs) about 90 interviews and 30 focus groups in Yunnan and online. There is only dates and references about 5 or 6 people.  You describe that you research frame focuses between 1995 to 2019, but you include a textual reference to 2021 (Humiao, February 2021).

The discussion is very brief and it does not relate the theoretical framework with the results of the research. This should have more development. The conclusions do not include research objectives. I think the paper or manuscrit needs to be improved. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

We really appreciate your constructive suggestions.

We have applied your advice in the revision. Please find attached response to your comments

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

This is an interesting topic and it was educational learning more about this particular area in China and the issues these women are experiencing. I liked that you introduced your research questions in the introduction. I have two suggestions for change of words. 

Line 44 – received - welcomed

Line 50 – many of them -many of the locals

In the  findings and analysis OR discussion section  it wold make sense to add a paragraph regarding how the conditions have changed or perhaps not changed at all during this period 1995-2019. Has the conditions become better, remained the same, did you observe any changes for these women. You went back 12 times during this time period.  Any light in the tunnel for these people?

Besides that I think paper is good to go. Nice job.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,
We really appreciate your constructive suggestions.
We have applied your advice in the revision. Please find attached the revised paper. 

We particularly added one paragraph below:

During the research that has extended over 20 years, significant changes have been identified on the ethnic women respondents. Most of them remain in doing work related to tourism while diversifying their business into retailing, organic food, crafts, and other tea related sectors. Instead of being an employee at the beginning of their career, most women have established their own businesses based on the expertise and network accumulated in their initial tourism jobs. Their family tends to be stable although women have expressed their growing confidence accompanied by increasing status in the family and community.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Thank you for the effort and work done. I think that you have made the changes to improve the manuscript.

Congratulations!