At this week’s Global Tourism Forum (GTF) in Brussels, a session exploring the sector’s future, its economic impact, and the empowerment of women and youth was replaced by a one-to-one interview conducted by Hala Matar Choufany, introducing the new UN Tourism Secretary-General Elect, Shaikha Al Nowais.
In this framework, Travel Tomorrow asked three young women working at the forum itself to provide case studies of their experience of the industry and of their perception both of barriers to progression towards leadership roles, and what women and the sector can do to address them.
Choose firms that prioritise gender parity at the top
Inès Bigot de Préameneu, 24 years old, in her second year of master-level study, told Travel Tomorrow she had chosen the sector as a very young woman at the end of her secondary schooling, having grown up in a family that had done a lot of travelling. Asked about her perception of the leadership opportunities open to her, she said she perceived disparity between men and women in the sector, having seen far more men in management roles than women, both in corporate and in public-facing hospitality positions.
However, she is starting to see an improvement. Seeing inspiring women taking on positions of power and being put in the spotlight is something that removes barriers, she said. She cited dynamic women she had personal knowledge of within her own working life, as well as the example of Secretary-General Al Nowais, interviewed that morning at the GTF.
Asked about whether she felt pressure to take even more diplomas beyond her master’s, in order to break the glass ceiling, de Préameneu recognised a societal tendency towards qualification inflation, but she also recognised more and more employers taking concrete action to ensure parity of opportunity within their organisations, and she stated that she would preferentially seek out those firms to advance her career.
Do not shy away from operational or management roles
Victoria Bondil, told Travel Tomorrow she has worked in JHMH Group, a french hotel chain, and is in her second year of a master’s in business, currently employed in human resources, with a keen eye to equal opportunity job advertising in recruitment. Bondil’s advice for women seeking career advancement is not to shy away from operational roles or management positions, and to take their progression step-by-step, stating that in the hotel sector and in tourism, career development possibilities are wide-ranging.
Women on boards — Quotas, targets, and progress (2020–2024)
— World Data Analysis (@World_Data_A) October 20, 2025
* The share of women on boards continues to rise globally, with most countries showing consistent gains between 2020, 2022, and 2024.
* #NewZealand, #France, and #Iceland lead with nearly 50% female board… pic.twitter.com/tgJFcy6spl
Ditch the inhibitions and take inspiration from role models
Thaïs Belletini has gone back to study in the hotel sector as a more mature student with a passion for human connection, for premium products, and a fascination for an industry facing big challenges, particularly in terms of sustainability. After working for five years in the Four Seasons George V in Paris, she realised that without higher education diplomas, she would find it difficult to rise up the ladder to roles with greater responsibility. For that reason, she enrolled at ESSEC Business School and has been undertaking an apprenticeship with Accor, working on sustainability. She described that combination of experience, first with a focus on people and team management at George V, and now working on sustainable development, as a potentially powerful mix.
Belletini also echoed the words of de Prémeneu on the subject of the impact of role models and again found the examples of Hala Matar Choufany and Shaikha Al Nowais, seen in an interview at GTF, impressive. In addition to examples of women in positions of power, Belletini noted that women need to lose their inhibitions and fear of pushing themselves forward.
All three agreed that in an industry where travel and anti-social hours are common demands on workers, women, who still undertake the majority of household and childcare responsibilities, face particular issues when it comes to their careers. The biological imperatives that women who want to start a family must deal with between the ages of 25 and 35 years, coincide with a time that is crucial for career development. Legislation to prevent discrimination against women in these situations is, for these three, a crucial part of the picture when it comes to increasing diversity at the top of the travel and tourism sector.
