World Tourism Network joined Mandala Research to partner in this important discussion on Women Leadership -and you are invited!
Women in Travel and Tourism International will convene an industry leadership forum in Washington, D.C., on April 18. The forum will address gender-based power imbalances that risk impacting the domestic and global tourism industry.
“As with all industries, women play a significant role in the travel and leisure workforce but represent less than ten percent of top leadership roles,” noted Laura Mandala of Mandala Research.
“Developing and empowering the existing talent pool is critical to the long-term success of the sector and building true and lasting equity in the industry. At this conference, we plan to craft an inclusive roadmap that builds on past successes while looking forward to the future.”
The conference’s theme is: “What’s Next for Women’s Leadership in Travel and Tourism.”
Recent research has revealed that women represent half of the travel and leisure workforce but only 7 percent of CEOs, according to a study from Aptamind and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC.)
Forum speakers include:
- Tori Barnes, Executive Vice President, U.S. Travel Association;
- Anne Madison, Senior Vice President, Cruise Lines International Association,
- Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, World Travel and Tourism Council,
- Melissa Cherry, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Miles Partnership,
- Rori Ferensic, Senior Vice President, Destinations International,
- Lan Elliott, [email protected] (an AHLA Foundation project), and
- Delegate Charniele Herring, Virginia House of Delegates.
“This conference will send a clear message to the next generation of women leaders aspiring to work in the travel and leisure industry that says:
‘You are welcome, wanted, and can thrive here,’” added Mandala. “If we want to attract the best and the brightest talent, we must demonstrate that there are attainable paths to leadership within the industry.”
“WTTC’s Women Initiative proudly recognizes the contribution of women around the globe as we work to build an equitable environment where women thrive as leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators,” said Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President WTTC.
“This public-private-academic partnership is essential to charting a path forward that leads to true gender equality for all.
Right now, we know that barriers to leadership prevent brilliant and talented leaders who happen to be women from moving our industry forward. The time for change is now.”
Mandala plans for the forum to launch the development of a blueprint with the group that set the course for guiding new industry initiatives.
The Forum begins with networking, an important and often undervalued aspect of climbing the corporate ladder. The Forum will be available online, enabling participants from across the globe to join the dialogue and further expanding the reach of this vital conversation.
World Tourism Network partnered with Women in Travel and Tourism International and Mandala Research in this critical discussion and invited its members in 130 countries to participate.
Sponsors include:
