Travel industry chiefs and next-generation female professionals from 18 countries headed to Iceland and pledged to accelerate gender diversity, gender balance and inclusion within the travel industry at the first International Women In Travel & Tourism Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Delegates at this event came from a wide range of public and private sector travel organisations as well as women’s empowerment brands and academic institutions. Representatives from airlines such as Icelandair and easyJet, and senior leaders from PEAK DMC and TUI attended alongside male and female travel entrepreneurs from Ecuador to Lebanon.
In the two days of speaker and panel sessions, inspirational women in the industry shared their personal experiences, industry observances and career advice. Keynote speaker Eliza Reid, Iceland’s first lady, shared how greater gender parity had benefitted the whole of Iceland.
Alessandra Alonso, founder of Women in Travel added: “This first International Women in Travel Forum was developed by Women in Travel CIC in partnership with Promote Iceland, Carnival UK and PEAK DMC. We all fully intend to continue to collaborate on and take forward key events take-aways, such as the international women in travel mentoring programme, and our next event in 2021 in Morocco.”
