Women are leading from the front in the Travel and Hospitality sector

The travel and hospitality sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world, generating millions of jobs and revenue every year. In India, the sector plays a significant role in the country's economy, estimated to contribute $512 Bn to India's GDP by 2028 and create around 53 Mn jobs by 2029. By 2028, the Indian tourism and hospitality sector is projected to earn $50.9 Bn as visitor exports compared with $ 28.9 Bn in 2018. International tourist arrivals are also projected to reach 30.5 Mn by 2028. Overall, the travel and hospitality sector in India offers immense potential for the economy’s growth and development, with a focus on promoting sustainable and responsible tourism practices.  

Even though it’s a burgeoning industry segment holding a lot of promise, the sector has traditionally been male-dominated. However, in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of women entering the segment. It is in fact also interesting to note that women entrepreneurs are progressively securing leadership positions and even starting their own ventures in various areas of the travel and hospitality sector, including tourism, hospitality, aviation, and allied sectors. Apart from that, there are several women who are working as travel guides, agents, travel coordinators, or working in hotels and resort management, as well as in the airline industry, as pilots, flight attendants, lounge attendants, and ground staff. 

In the recent past, the Indian government and several private organizations have taken concrete steps to promote gender diversity in the travel and hospitality sector. The Ministry of Tourism has launched various schemes and initiatives to encourage women's participation in tourism and hospitality. This is leading to women in India's travel and hospitality sector making significant strides and breaking down barriers.

With the changing times, there are a lot of viable opportunities that are cropping up that women can leverage to their advantage which is discussed below: 

Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Many companies are recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion and are actively seeking to recruit more women and people from other underrepresented groups. 

Skill Diversity: The travel and hospitality industry demands a large plethora of skills, from customer service to marketing to event planning, providing women with various career opportunities. With the accelerated pace of digitisation and rise in overall tourist inflows/outflows, many new job opportunities are emerging for women. Organisations are launching strategies to bridge skill gaps, to keep pace with the snowballing demand gradients.

Entrepreneurship: Many women are starting their own businesses in the industry, such as boutique hotels and tour companies, or services such as lounges, food and beverage, spa, meet and assist, airport transfer, and transit hotels, among others. Such entrepreneurial ventures allow them to control their schedules and prioritize work-life balance while building a profitable business. There are companies like Dreamfolks, which was conceptualised with a vision to democratise airport lounge services, making them accessible and available for all, especially for economy travellers - backed by robust innovation and state-of-the-art technology.  

Career Advancement: Many companies are implementing initiatives to promote career development and advancement for women, such as mentorship programs and leadership training, by making adequate investments in well-planned L&D models.   

The dynamic travel and hospitality sector needs women leaders more than ever before. This is exactly the time when women step up, take the charge, and utilize the opportunity that is up for grabs.  As the tectonic shift takes place, it becomes imperative for stakeholders to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women to thrive in this burgeoning space.