The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is set to present its new ‘Women Empowerment Initiative’ for travel at its annual Global Summit, which is taking place in April of this year, in Cancun, Mexico.
The WTTC ‘Women Empowerment Initiative’ will, through the creation of a Women´s Travel & Tourism Advisory Group and broad consultation across stakeholders, identify key activities and best practices to support women in universities, in SMEs, entrepreneurs, and in the corporate world across, the entire Travel & Tourism sector.
The group will drive awareness of the current challenges and will lead strategies to work towards an increased representation of women in senior leadership positions within the sector.
The global tourism body will launch its Women Empowerment Declaratory in April at its Global Summit in Cancun, at which it hopes its 200 private sector Members will join.
Research from WTTC reports has shown that through supporting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, companies can expect to see greater profitability, increased creativity and innovation, and a happier workforce where employees feel free and safe to be who they are. Promoting a diverse workforce is good for business, enables the sector to serve its clients and stakeholders better.
WTTC sees this as an opportunity to ensure a sustainable and inclusive future and believes that if companies make significant investments in building a more inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, they can retain the employees most affected by today’s crises and nurture a culture in which women have equal opportunity to achieve their potential in the long term.
Travel & Tourism is one of the world’s most diverse sectors and is made up of 54% women, and we are excited to be encouraging women’s empowerment throughout the sector. I’m very proud that at WTTC we have a majority of our leadership positions occupied by women.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC
In the tourism sector of the Mexican Caribbean, there are greater opportunities for women’s empowerment. Two of our most important programs; Guest Assist and Guest Locator, are led by women, Directors of Tourist Care and Information Technologies
Carlos Joaquín González, Governor of Quintana Roo
The Global Summit will be the first major conference in the ‘new normal’ of the Covid-19 world and will take place in Cancun, Mexico on 25-27 April. The event will take place in a hybrid format, allowing those unable to travel to benefit from the content virtually.
Glenda McNeal, President of Strategic Partnerships, American Express said, “When we choose to empower the women in the Travel & Tourism sector, we choose to give them a seat at the table. That seat is a platform for not just the individual, but for the collective voices, insights, experiences, and knowledge we bring to the world as women in this industry.”
