Current issues related to internationalization and female entrepreneurship apply to all sectors of activity. The present study focuses on the tourism sector and in particular investigates the influence of gender diversity on the propensity to internationalization and the decision making process of international development in the hotel business. The relation- ships between gender diversity, the degree of internationalization and cross-border barriers to expansion are also shown. The study concludes with a survey whose objective is to analyse the distinctive factors of female businesses in the international hotel sector, in order to iden- tify an international business model from a gender perspective.