Maribel Rodríguez (WLT): The presence of women in tourism management brings a more plural and empathetic vision.
Women represent around 54% of the global tourism workforce and play a key role at all operational levels. However, as the president of Women Leading Tourism (WLT), a partner association of FITUR Woman, explains below, this representation is still not equally reflected in leadership positions and decision-making spaces. According to this expert, the growing presence of women in tourism brings a more plural, empathetic and sustainable vision of business management.
How has the presence and importance of professional women in the tourism industry evolved?
The presence of women in the tourism industry has evolved significantly over the last decade. Today, women represent around 54% of the global tourism workforce, playing a key role at all operational levels. However, this representation is still not equally reflected in leadership positions and decision-making spaces.
What actions will be needed to further boost this presence in the future?
At Women Leading Tourism, collaborators of FITUR Woman, we work actively to make female talent visible, foster support networks, and promote inclusive corporate policies that allow us to move towards greater equality. In order to continue promoting this evolution, it is essential to commit to a real cultural transformation that includes specific female leadership programmes, mentoring, effective work-life balance measures, as well as the implementation of equality indicators and metrics within organisations.
Moreover, public-private partnerships will be crucial to accelerating this structural change and consolidating a fairer, more competitive and representative tourism model.
What values does the growing presence of women in the tourism industry bring?
A diverse industry is, by definition, more inclusive. The growing presence of women in tourism brings a more plural, empathetic and sustainable vision of business management. However, for this value to translate into real impact, it is essential that women are present in the spaces where strategic decisions are made.
Women in the tourism industry are highly educated and skilled, and although they have everything they need to lead, we still need to work on the mechanisms that will allow them to reach that extra mile, the last stretch of the road to positions of influence and leadership.
In what other areas can women enrich tourism and business management?
Empathy, collaboration, social innovation and engagement with local communities are key values for the future of tourism, and female leadership is instrumental in integrating them into the organisational culture. When representation in decision-making is balanced, companies benefit from a greater diversity of perspectives, which translates into better economic performance, greater resilience and a deeper connection with customers and territories.
Supporting women's leadership is not only a question of social justice, but a strategic decision to build a more humane, competitive and inclusive tourism.