GENDER PORTRAYAL IN MARITIME TOURISM ADVERTISEMENTS: EXPLORATORY STUDY.

Gender portrayal in advertising has been the focus of researchers for decades. In previous research, females were portrayed as being more submissive and playful than their male counterparts. This study builds on previous research by focusing on gender portrayal in tourism advertising in Maritime Canadian travel directories. A random sample was drawn from each of the travel directories for the three Maritime Provinces in Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The results revealed that differences in gender portrayal in the print ads were minimal. Gender portrayal was consistent across genders and generally involved positive imagery without negative female stereotypes. The only statistically significant difference between males and females portrayed in ads were a higher percentage of females who were smiling in ad images. However, this common in advertising featuring consumers of services as it communicates a positive consumer experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]