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Gender pay gap widening in travel industry, finds study

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The gender pay gap for travel executives widened over the past year, new research reveals.

Male executives in roles paying more than £40,000 a year are earning 6.43% or £3,474 more per year more than females in similar positions. The difference was 4.63% in 2014.

However, the difference in pay varies greatly depending upon seniority.

Salaries were more even in terms of travel jobs paying below £40,000, although there was still a pay gap of 0.99%, meaning that the average male worker in the industry earns £20,994, or £206 more than their female counterparts.

Similarly, the typical male travel consultant takes home £17,464, which is 0.54% more than the average woman in the same role.

Male business travel consultants receive an average salary of £21,864, which is 0.92% more than their female colleagues.

Women accounted for a massive 71.69% of all those securing new standard travel positions in 2015, but despite this, the vast majority – 68.18% – of higher-paid executive roles were awarded to men.

The gender split has widened in the past year, with 2014 seeing 67.28% of all standard roles going to women and 58.97% of executive positions going to men.

Barbara Kolosinska, director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment, which carried out the study, said: “We have to question why men are securing far more executive roles in the industry than women and why they are also being paid significantly more.

“Of course, many women give up opportunities to further their careers in order to focus on motherhood, and this gender imbalance certainly isn’t an issue that solely affects travel.

“But with such a high percentage of women working in this industry, it is alarming that we are still handing so many of the highest profile positions to men.

“We have a wonderful opportunity in this industry to take a stand and be an example to others by reducing and, potentially, eliminating the gender pay gap altogether.”

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