Pictured: Eulanda Shead Osagiede and Alessandra Alonso
Social enterprise group Women in Travel is creating a new initiative to highlight black, Asian and minority ethnic women in the travel and tourism industry.
BAME Women in Travel will be unveiled at an event in London on March 11.
The new division aims to support BAME women “fulfil their economic and individual potential” through customised training and mentoring aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and employment.
Women in Travel will also work with travel and tourism businesses and organisations who wish to build knowledge of increasingly influential BAME travel communities.
Eulanda Shead Osagiede, co-founder of travel, food and lifestyle blog Hey! Dip Your Toes In, has been named Women in Travel’s new executive director of the BAME division.
She said: “Despite the voices of women of colour within the travel and tourism industry traditionally being marginalised, there is a new wave of disruptors changing the narrative within this space.
“BAME Women in Travel plans to play a key role in providing resources, networking opportunities, training, and events focused on making advancement within the travel and tourism industry more accessible.
“It is my hope that I can serve women of colour through my passionate advocation for a more diverse and inclusive industry.”
Women in Travel founder Alessandra Alonso said: “’Since its inception in 2014, Women in Travel has passionately acted as go-between for the travel and tourism sector and talented yet marginalised women seeking greater involvement in the sector, be it via stable employment or the opportunity to launch their own tourism business.
“In the last 18 months we have run BAME-focused events with excellent feedback from the communities who engaged with us.
“Our BAME Women in Travel initiative is therefore the natural progression to grow the opportunities available to women from black, minority and Asian communities within a sector that is still lacking diversity at every level.”
