Diversity in the travel sector has improved but there is still a long way to go before it gets to where it needs to be, according to a panel of HR experts.
Speaking at Travel Weekly’s People Summit, Women in Travel CIC founder Alessandro Alonso (pictured) told attendees more could be done to promote inclusivity.
When asked if the travel sector was where it needed to be in terms of diversity, she said: “Not quite – there is much more we need to do.”
But she added: “What has improved compared to when I started 20 years ago is the fact there is a lot more awareness now; we are all aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion.”
Alonso added the industry needs to be more creative in terms of how it recruits, by looking beyond the traditional avenues to attract talent.
“There’s much more we need to do in terms of thinking outside of the box [when recruiting], whether it’s individuals who are refugees, domestic abuse victims or those sexually trafficked, so not people who come from your average travel background,” she said.
“These are people who have a lot to offer in terms of opportunity and resilience, as well as an understanding of what it takes to survive, thrive and be successful, which is exactly what the industry needs.”
Katie Nightingale, director of people consulting at Grant Thornton, agreed that the industry is lagging where it should be in relation to diversity and inclusion.
“As a sector, you [travel] should be much more diverse because of the nature of the work you do and the cultures you encourage people to go and visit,” she said, adding: “I think there’s still more to do.”
She said the sector must do more to demonstrate what it is doing to increase its representation with the use of data.
“The challenge you have is evidencing a lot of the good work you are doing in that area, and a lot of that comes down to looking at how you do that; what data have you got to do that?” she added.