Celebrating International Women’s Day in tourism

Today is International Women’s Day and this year the theme is to all fully #EmbraceEquity. Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.

The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.

It is interesting to take a look at the role that women currently plays in the travel and tourism sector. In the last few decades, more and more space has been given to them thanks to numerous initiatives, however, there is still room for improvement.

A recent survey showed that while women represent 55 per cent of the workforce in the tourism sector, only 20 per cent of women hold management positions. Even more striking is the fact that only 8 per cent hold positions of high responsibility. However, it is women who are the decision-makers in 70 per cent of cases when booking a holiday.

We are happy to say that Travel Monitor is 100 per cent owned and operated by women – girl power! Here is some more news from the travel industry as they celebrate International Women’s Day.

P&O Cruises Australia is celebrating International Women’s Day, at sea

With over 40 nationalities represented across the crew, team members demonstrated their support today, cementing the cruise line’s unwavering commitment to champion all forms of diversity.

Globally, the 2023 UN International Women’s Day theme is “Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future”. It highlights the role that bold, transformative ideas, inclusive technologies, and accessible education can play in combatting discrimination and the marginalisation of women globally.

Virgin take girl power to the skies

Today Virgin Australia will took to the skies with VA313, a flight dispatched, operated, and managed by an all-women team in celebration of International Women’s Day. The landmark flight departed Melbourne at 8:10am and arrived in Brisbane at 9:20am local time, with more than 10 different roles performed by over 20 women, demonstrating the diverse positions held by women right across Virgin Australia.

The operational flight plan was constructed and issued by a female Flight Dispatcher and all weight and balance activities were performed by a female Load Controller in the airline’s Integrated Operations Centre. VA313 was also be crewed by an all-female team in the flight deck and cabin, managed by an all-female pit crew team in both ports, and supported by female airport safety officers and air traffic controllers.

Accor marks International Women’s Day with a commitment to equality

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Accor is proud to reiterate its long-standing commitment to ensuring gender equality, wage parity and protecting women’s rights in every aspect of its business. A total of 13,914 Heartists® – Accor’s passionate, inspiring associates – in Southeast Asia, Japan & Korea are women, including many General Managers and senior executives.

Furthermore, the Group’s Middle East, Africa & Asia Pacific Executive Committee, under the leadership of CEO Duncan O’Rourke, now features a 50-50 female-male ratio. To mark IWD 2023, Accor is celebrating its female Heartists® with DiscovHER, a collection of personal stories from women at every level of the company, all around the world. From 6-10 March 2023, a series of DiscovHER podcasts profiling some of Accor’s most inspiring women will be available on the Group’s corporate website and Accor’s social network channels.

Intrepid debuts Women’s Expedition in Pakistan for International Women’s Day

Intrepid Travel has announced a range of new women’s trips and experiences for 2023, including its first-ever Women’s Expedition in Pakistan. Intrepid’s Women’s Expeditions are a collection of women-led, women-only tours that aim to break down barriers for female travellers, debunk misconceptions about gender norms and celebrate the similarities and differences of women around the globe. The new Pakistan tour is led by local guide Aneeqa Ali, who is the Founder of The Mad Hatters, a female-led travel company focused on women’s empowerment, engagement and connection.

South Sea Horizons support women’s employment in PNG

Papua New Guinean-owned and operated, South Sea Horizons, specialises in life-changing experiences and is commited to low-impact tourism that gives-back to the communities they interact with. Owner Alan Manning said “There is a rise in females’ participation in many industries, such as conservation and tourism within Papua New Guinea, which is great to see. However, there could be a lot more, and I hope to see a future increase in female employment throughout PNG.”

“Organisations like the Sea Women of Melanesia don’t receive the credit they deserve, and South Sea Horizon Would love to send a special shout-out to the Sea Women of Melanesia and the fantastic work they do throughout Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. South Sea horizons would also like to send a special mention to trailblazers like Angela Pennefather from Melanesian Luxury Yachts, who are also doing some fantastic things within Papua New Guinean waters. Hopefully, these women are an inspiration for many Papua New Guinea women who are looking to be leaders in their industry.”

Contiki’s Women-Led Experiences Across The Globe

This International Women’s Day 2023, Contiki chatted to Nadine Pinto, to discuss how travel experiences are sourced, the impact they have on travellers and local women, and why they are so important for the brand. Women-led MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences, available on Contiki trips across 6 continents, can be grouped into two main categories: those that help women enter the economy (typically in countries where they’re marginalised from the workplace), and those that focus on women’s perspectives, such as women-led walking tours.

Further experiences include a chat with the Warrior Women in Jasper, Canada, and an all-new women-led dining experience in Sarajevo. “Tourism is such an incredible way to [support women] because it allows [them] to get involved in the local economy, which is one of the first steps towards equality and a great way to empower women as well,” Nadine Pinto added.

Meet the women in construction at the Australian War Memorial

This International Women’s Day the Australian War Memorial is highlighting some of the key women working on the Development project. Representing a variety of backgrounds, skills and experience, these women bring their expertise to this multi-faceted, long term construction project. All three are motivated by the once-in-a-career opportunity it represents.

The Memorial’s Director, Matt Anderson, said: “This International Women’s Day the Memorial acknowledges all the women working to deliver this once in a generation project.”

TFE Announces Global Leadership Appointments – all women

Off the back of the successful launch of their homegrown Adina and Vibe brands in Singapore, Austria and soon-to-be Switzerland, TFE Hotels has announced a new global leadership structure to help steer business and operational strategy and drive future expansion. TFE Hotels’ CEO, Antony Ritch, said the creation of three new Global Officer Roles, spanning Sales, Revenue and Marketing, would help cement TFE’s hospitality networks in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia (through TFE’s joint venture partnership with Far East Hospitality).

“I’m delighted to announce that Amanda Hoolihan, Katia Giurtalis and Shahnaz Bakhshay have been promoted into Global Officer roles,” Ritch said.  “With almost 40 years of combined TFE Hotels’ tenure, these senior executives will facilitate our international networks to optimise our business outcomes as we continue our global expansion.”