Equality in Tourism’s recent update to its ‘Sun, Sand and Ceilings’ 2013 report found that the overall representations of women on travel and tourism company boards has risen from just 15% to 23%. Although this represents some change, it is still below the 25% target set in 2015 by the Davies Report, and considerably lower than the 33% target expected to be achieved by 2020. This not only shows us how travel and tourism is still a male-led industry, but an industry struggling to embark on the change expected of it.
The ‘Sun, Sand and Ceilings’ report explores current disparities in gender equality on company boards in a wide range of tourism and hospitality businesses. As female employees are largely concentrated in lower-skilled, less well-paid roles, says Equality in Tourism, it is critical to have female representations at board-level in order to provide others with strong female mentors and role models, as well as give realistic prospects of promotion and opportunities.
Trade publication TTG has featured Equality in Tourism’s new, updated report as the cover story in their latest issue. The feature quotes EiT’s chair and one of the reports’ authors, Dr Angela Kalisch, who expresses the importance of women at boardroom level as not only a fundamental part of progression in terms of responsible and sustainable tourism, but that “you need diversity in management structures to drive change”.
You can read the full TTG feature by clicking here. (featured on the front cover and p. 16-17) or here
