Travel needs to ‘double down’ on DEI and not scale back, leaders insist

Travel and tourism companies need to “double down” on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts even though it is “getting harder”, industry leaders have said.

The discussions at the International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum (IWTTF) come as numerous companies in the US have scaled back their DEI initiatives.

International Women in Travel & Tourism chair Jo Rzymowska said: “The truth is this work of inclusion, equity and justice is getting harder, not easier.

“Companies once celebrated for their DEI policies are scaling them back. Elected officials across the pond are fuelling division instead of unity.

“Even in our own industry, we’re seeing a pullback by some, but still, there are many who are still standing up and standing out, and we need that now more than ever.”

A survey found attendees thought inflexible work policies were “the biggest barrier” to advancing women and gender-diverse leaders in the travel and tourism industry (33%), followed by unconscious bias in hiring and promotion (27%), a lack of mentorship and sponsorship (16%), cultural gender norms (12%) and tokenism or performative DEI efforts (11%).

Many in the room had said they had felt they had “no option” but to leave their jobs to set up their own businesses to gain the required flexibility to support their families.

Rzymowska called for more allies with “power and privilege” to “stand shoulder to shoulder” and “not just cheer from the sidelines”.

Intrepid Travel EMEA managing director Zina Bencheikh echoed this as she highlighted one in eight companies in the US were eliminating or reducing their DEI investment and programmes.

She stressed the UK was “not immune” and had been awarded its lowest workplace gender equality ranking by The Guardian in March, which found the pay gap in travel had widened, with men out-earning women by 24% in roles paying more than £60,000.

Bencheikh said people “need to be reminded that DEI matters”, particularly for the travel industry.

She cited research suggesting that more than 70% of consumers prefer brands that take a stand on social goals, adding that companies prioritising DEI outperform competitors by more than 35%, while 80% of travel purchase decisions are made by women.

“DEI makes businesses better, and has made Intrepid better,” she said. “We believe in progress over perfection but have seen first-hand how the more we’ve invested in DEI, the more successful we have become as a brand.”

She added: “While many are going backwards, we see this as an opportunity to double down.”

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) president Julia Simpson said: “A backlash means we should be even more forthright and unapologetic about investing in women, training them, supporting them and helping them succeed.

“Creating a travel and tourism sector that is strong, sustainable and welcoming for everyone is not just a great business decision, it is the right thing to do.”

She added 64% of travellers today were women and almost two-thirds were customers of WTTC members.

Meanwhile, women represent 40% of all workers in the industry, but on average those positions are “lower paid and less secure” than men’s jobs in the same sector.

Speaking on a panel later, LGBTQ+ and inclusion consultant Max Siegel highlighted a “backlash to the backlash” with companies such as Target’s share price falling by 40% following their retraction of DEI programmes.

Siegel said: “It is proof we need to not listen to the loudest voice and that the loudest voice does not necessarily represent your customers, shareholders or public opinion.”

Women in Travel CIC managing director and founder Alessandra LoTufo Alonso emphasised the importance of expanding DEI initiatives in the current climate, giving examples of the organisation  increasing its mentoring and education programmes and growing its international footprint after a successful event launch in Dubai last year.

She added the IWTTF Awards were another example of "people worldwide doing great work" at a time when DEI was taking a backlash, with some of the winners from this year including Tui Care Foundation and individuals from Limitless Travel, Audley Travel and Destination Rainbow.

LoTufo Alonso said: "I would really love for all of you today in this room to get engaged with us, to commit to continue to strengthen your DEI commitment.

"It doesn’t only make moral sense, it makes absolute commercial sense, and businesses are better for it."