International Women’s Day is commemorated around the world to recognize and applaud the achievements of women from all around the world. Given that March 8 is almost here, we wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on the importance of women in the traveling industry, and think about how they are developing and transforming it. These kinds of days allow us to remember how far women have come, but they also remind us that there’s still a long way to go. Aside from the obvious, we’re going to focus specifically on the traveling industry because it is a great example of the power that women have as consumers and workers, but also, because it makes us question how we think about tourism, and what different priorities look like depending on who you ask.
A Female-led Industry:
Perhaps, when you think about the phrase “female-led industry” you think about an industry where most of the executive roles are held by women. Actually, we’re thinking about an industry where most consumers, or at least, most consumers that make the decisions are women, and also one where the workforce is made up mostly by women, although this may not apply to executive roles (see why we say that there’s still a long way to go?). Precisely, that’s what happens with the traveling industry! Data from the World Travel & Tourism Council from 2019 showed that women represent approximately 54% of the industry’s 334 million workers. Additionally, almost 85% of all travel decisions are made by women. Where you’re going, where you’re staying, what activities you plan on doing… chances are a woman made that decision.
Women are not only the driving force of the traveling industry, but they are the ones that make most of the decisions.
Who Travels the Most?
Since women are the ones making most of the traveling decisions, it comes as no surprise that they are also the ones that are traveling the most! Yes, indeed women organize vacations with their friends and families, but they also like to go on solo adventures. In a post-pandemic world, women are the ones that are leading the resurgence in domestic and international travel, and thus, are the ones reviving an industry that was one of the most affected by the pandemic. Because of all of this, the traveling industry must put women’s interests, needs and concerns at the forefront, creating a safe space where women can explore the world on their own terms.
It is safe to say that women are leading the resurgence of the traveling industry.
Looking Ahead:
Well, we now know that women are crucial for the traveling industry in every aspect. But we have to think further down the road and consider the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. How do we want the industry to be in 10 years? On the one hand, although women represent more than half of the traveling industry workforce, they hold less than 20% managerial or high responsibility posts. This is something that has to change, because otherwise, how will the industry evolve and meet the needs of female travelers? Additionally, now that tourism is seeing a steady recovery after the pandemic, it is the perfect time to reevaluate the priorities of the industry and reflect on how it can strengthen women’s interest in traveling, whereas it is related to safety, possible destinations for solo travelers or simply the activities available. There’s plenty to do for an industry that has so much potential thanks to women’s participation and interest in it, because without a conscious effort to keep developing the traveling experience, all can be lost in the blink of an eye.
There’s still a long way to go before we can say that there’s equality in the traveling industry, but there’s a very strong foundation.
Now that International Women’s Day approaches, let’s reflect on our profound impact in the industry, and all the work that’s left to do in order to create a truly inclusive and equal traveling industry.
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