Travelogues shown by the major broadcasters are dominated by white, male presenters, according to a new study.
The research, conducted by the International Broadcasting Trust (IBT) into the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, found that presenter-led travelogues account for 58 per cent of their international programming, rising to 84 per cent on ITV1.
But despite their abundance, there is a “distinct lack of diversity” among the presenters of these shows.
Nine of the ten most frequently appearing presenters of international travel programmes were men, with Michael Portillo and James Martin appearing for more than 100 hours over the past two years.
They were followed by Michael Palin, Simon Reeve, Monty Don and Rick Stein.
The only woman to feature on the top ten list was the singer and television presenter Jane McDonald, who presented programmes including Channel 5’s Lost in Japan, while the newsreader Clive Myrie was the only non-white presenter for his appearances on Italian Roadtrip and Caribbean Adventure.
Both were on-air for fewer than 30 hours.
Martin Scott, a professor of media and global development at the University of East Anglia and the author of the report, said that the problem was the “cumulative effect” rather than criticising the use of any one presenter.
“You might only get certain kinds of stories being told and the way they’re being told may be only in certain ways,” he said. “And diverse British audiences aren’t always going to see themselves reflected so the programmes might not therefore seem as relevant or interesting.”
Scott praised travelogues from non-white presenters over the period including BBC’s The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan and Big Zuu Goes to Mecca, with Channel 5’s Sue Perkins: Lost in Thailand also referenced.
Male, pale and stale travelogues lack diversity, report says