Right at the outset, let me say that this is not going to make comfortable reading. But then, you cannot be sitting comfortably if you have being following all the sexual harassment news emerging from the entertainment, fashion and media industry and the consequent #MeToo campaign that has probably flooded your twitter account. Even if you haven’t purposely followed it, I would suggest that unless you have spent 2017 on some remote planet, you won’t have escaped it either. So here is my question to you: is the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry above scrutiny or are we next in line?
A very quick scroll through the internet shows that the subject has been addressed over the last few years in a handful of academic papers. For example, in the Journal ‘Current Issues in Tourism’ I find an interesting article (2015) entitled ‘Hostility or hospitality? A review on violence, bullying and sexual harassment in the tourism and hospitality industry’ and a year earlier a different article discusses how employees respond to sexual harassment from customers in the workplace.
Industry perception is also somewhat incriminating. In an article appearing in the Evening Standard a week or so ago Scottish Conservative party leader Ruth Anderson talked about sexual harassment in Westminster and – as a way of demonstrating that the corridors of powers are no different to other corridors – made references to harassment suffered by the likes of chamber maids and front office staff.
Looks like the answer is yes at least for some parts of the industry. In November 201,7 no doubt on the back of a wave of openly denounced cases from other closely related industries, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) unveiled a new Sexual Violence & Harassment Intervention Training program which now even has its own website.
Prevention is as we know a far more effective tool than curing in the aftermath of a tragic event so I suspect that more organisations and associations in Travel and tourism broadly will be encouraging their members to review their policy and deliver more training.
None of that works however, if the culture is sick at its core and whistle blower are being silenced. This is something really crucial in my opinion and in need of deep review and reflection on the part of the sector. Already we are known to suffer from poor reputation around working conditions and there are many cases of young people / young females being stopped short of taking jobs in the industry by their parents due to their perception.
Sexual harassment and exploitation are a serious issue and one that can have massive ramifications on the industry at a time when recruitment and talent acquisition is already proving a challenge.
Let’s bring this issue to the fore in 2018 to ensure that a more concerted, industry-led effort may spare future generations of travel, tourism and hospitality female professionals the pain experienced by their sisters in so many other arenas.
]]>So here we are, Happy New Year! It has been an important year for Women in Travel as the social enterprise I launched in January 2017 has just celebrated its first birthday and I reflect upon its progress and activities and draw some conclusions about gender and the status of women in the travel and tourism sector.
The Women in Travel Meetups, which took place during WTM London this past November and last April at ATM Dubai, reminded us of a number of important things:
Many of us from all cultures and backgrounds would like to set up or indeed grow their business but don’t quite know how. Interestingly, this is not just true for women but also for men, as for the first time since starting the event in 2014 the room was probably split fifty-fifty between men and women. Accessing finance is often the greatest hurdle for women but – as one of our speakers and mentors reminded us – without self-confidence and self -belief we can hardly hope to be successful.
Another important point is that entrepreneurship knows no cultural barriers. Whereas women may sometimes be prevented by unwritten traditional rules from working in public places – particularly I am afraid when it comes to hospitality settings – everyone with a laptop and a WiFi connection can set up a business from their kitchen table! Sometimes these remain micro or small businesses – with many getting freelance work as writers, bloggers and influencers – but in other cases, they grow to considerable size and success such as the case of Diamondair international, Underthedoormat and House of Coco.
From Iran to Dubai, London to Capetown Women are embracing entrepreneurship in droves and they won’t be stopped. The question is rather for the industry, the political establishments and society: how can we ensure that their contribution does not go unnoticed? How can we support them and encourage them so that they feel empowered to act?
Activities such as those mentioned below in this blog go some way to provide this support but the needs are increasingly global. That is why Women in Travel was truly pleased to sign a memorandum of understanding with UN-led initiative SheTrades. Our common aim is to foster entrepreneurship and access to market for women entrepreneurs, especially from emerging economies. In 2018, we will be undertaking some collaboration to this extent, so watch this space!
As tables filled to the brim with mentees, I continued to marvel at the extraordinary powerful tool that is mentoring.
Gaining access to an individual with established experience is certainly the fastest way to learn and perhaps, to avoid repeating mistakes already made by somebody else. Furthermore, that experience and knowledge is shared for free and with the genuine intention and desire to help. Repeatedly, female mentees tell us that mentoring sessions are an incredible source of learning and inspiration.
So why not do more? Well, we have listened and we are! Mentoring will now feature in both Dubai’s Arabian Travel Market and the newly launched Cape Town’s WTM Africa, both taking place in April 2018. So watch out for sign up opportunities early in the New Year.
We live in days of uncertainty and instability. As women, we fear for ourselves and our families, close and far. Political unrest, economic stagnation, social disparity are all existing concerns. Therefore, it gives us strength and courage to come together and share our experiences, opportunities and learning. In this context, we also find strength in our diversity and in knowing that women from all backgrounds, culture and races experience similar hopes and challenges.
Women are finding travel and tourism an exciting and opportunity-rich industry. In 2018, they are hoping to work and build their future in this sector, even more than in 2017.
Learning, sharing and giving to each other generously through mentoring and networking platforms, as well as having an industry that embraces this talented will ensure an even brighter and more sustainable future to the sector.
See you all in 2018!