Business Daily BBC Podcasts

Over its long history women have been mostly excluded from the Tour de France. Until recently.

In 2022, after a long campaign by some of female cycling's biggest names, the Tour de France Femmes was introduced. So how is it doing? And will it ever be on a level footing with the much older and long-established men's race?

We hear from competitors, sponsors, broadcasters and race director Marion Rousse.

Produced and presented by Lexy O'Connor

(Team Jumbo Visma rider Marianne Vos wears the yellow jersey during 3rd stage of the first Tour de France Femmes in 2022: Getty Images)

The 'pink pound' or 'pink dollar' is believed to be worth billions of dollars, and tourism is one sector looking to benefit. We find out how the industry is trying to attract LGBT travellers, with countries like Nepal taking steps to be a more appealing destination.
Plus, we head to the coastal town of Sitges in Spain, where gay people have been holidaying for more than 100 years.
Producer/presenter: Daniel Rosney
(Photo: The Nomadic Boys in New Zealand. Credit: The Nomadic Boys)

Ireland has just launched a scheme to charge a deposit on bottles and cans which is refunded when consumers return them to recycling machines in supermarkets.
The Irish have set up a non profit making company to manage the scheme, funded by the drinks making firms, which should avoid the financial problems that have dogged the industry in the United States.
Many privately owned American recycling companies are in danger of going out of business because the fee they get from state governments, under the Bottle Bill, has not been increased for years, even though their costs have soared.
Produced and presented by Russell Padmore
(Picture: Reverse vending machines for Ireland’s new deposit return recycling scheme)

We speak to the Armenian entrepreneur behind the popular photo editing app used by millions on Instagram, and by businesses too.
Mr Avoyan tells us about his childhood, growing up in a country which only gained independence when he was in his 20s. He tells us how this liberation set free his entrepreneurial spirit, and why he relocated his company from Armenia to the US.
Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw
(Image: Hovhannes Avoyan)

As modest fashion week starts in Istanbul, we look at the growth of this area of the fashion industry.
Long considered a faith-based choice, it is gaining in popularity, proven by the modest-friendly options that many leading brands now offer.
We hear the thoughts of retailers and designers on why more women are choosing to dress modestly. And content creator Maha Gondal explains how she's bringing her take on modest fashion to her thousands of followers.
Plus we look at what can go wrong when brands try to cash in on what they see as a lucrative market.
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
(Image: Woman wearing a maxi dress with long sleeves, standing in front of a wall covered with foliage. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens when your favourite movies and TV shows fall off streaming sites?
We find out why, speaking to industry insiders, and those preserving our film and TV titles.
Plus, we speak to a US-based writer whose programme has disappeared to find out what the impact is on creators when their work no longer exists online.
(Image: Man watching TV next to a dog. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Matt Lines