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The travel industry likes to think of itself as progressive.

After all, it connects cultures, crosses borders and prides itself on being one of the most people-centric industries on the planet.

Yet for all that openness, tourism has long carried a quiet contradiction: women dominate the workforce but remain under-represented at the very top.

That contradiction was brought sharply into focus in 2026 when Shaikha Al Nowais was elected Secretary-General of UN Tourism, becoming the first woman ever to lead the organisation.

It was a moment many in the industry described as overdue.

But if anyone thought that appointment alone meant the job was done, the numbers quickly tell a different story.

According to Equality in Tourism, women make up 54 per cent of the global tourism workforce. Yet when it comes to boardrooms and executive leadership, representation drops to just 33 per cent of positions across travel and hospitality companies.

In other words, women power the industry, but men still largely steer it.

That imbalance was one of the key themes explored during a recent International Women’s Day discussion organised by Belvera Partners, where several senior figures from the travel technology sector compared notes on leadership, workplace culture and the sometimes-invisible barriers that continue to shape careers.

The panel brought together Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director at RateHawk; Marianna Gelardi, Vice President of Sales at RateGain; May Hertonen, Senior Customer Success Manager at Valpas; and Amaia Marsà, Vice President of the Tech Tourism Cluster.

Together, they represent a slice of an industry increasingly shaped by technology, data and digital platforms, and one where leadership culture is evolving.

But progress, they suggested, still requires deliberate effort.

Culture Still Determines Who Leads

For Astrid Kastberg, the conversation about gender equality often begins with something deceptively simple: workplace structure.

“At RateHawk, 63% of the employees are women, while 60% of managers are female,” she explained.

That balance did not appear by accident.

“For me, this is the result of a supportive company culture and flexible work that enable women and men to do multiple roles both at work and at home. It also allows them to thrive in leadership.”

In other words, when companies create environments that acknowledge real-life family responsibilities, flexible work patterns, and supportive management, leadership pipelines naturally begin to change.

Kastberg believes organisations also need to encourage women to recognise and communicate their professional value.

Too often, she says, women hesitate to promote their strengths as their male colleagues routinely do.

Small shifts in corporate culture can change that.

Safe Spaces That Build Confidence

In many travel-technology firms, employee networks have become one of the most effective ways to nurture future leaders.

At RateGain, Marianna Gelardi helps lead SHE@RateGain, an internal initiative that connects and supports women across the organisation.

It functions less like a corporate programme and more like a professional community.

“For me, the most important thing within the group is to create a space where we feel safe, we can share our experiences and support one another,” Gelardi said.

The value of that support should not be underestimated.

In an industry known for demanding schedules and constant international travel, informal networks often serve as critical sounding boards for career decisions and leadership challenges.

Leadership The Human Version

Another recurring theme during the discussion was leadership style.

According to May Hertonen of Valpas, women frequently approach leadership in ways that reflect the fundamentally human nature of hospitality itself.

“Women lead more through coaching and empathy. We understand people at a people level, we encourage them, lead them by setting example, and we grow together with them,” she said.

That style, she suggests, often develops before formal authority arrives.

“Influence is one of the skills that will bring you to the room and also keep you there.”

It is a perspective that resonates strongly in travel and tourism, where leadership often depends less on hierarchy and more on collaboration.

Kastberg agrees.

“Daring to lead differently from how things have been led before is good,” she observed.

“Small actions and leading by example are impactful.”

The Perception Gap

If leadership culture is evolving, perceptions of inequality remain divided.

Research conducted by Turijobs, a Barcelona-based employment platform for the tourism and hospitality sectors, highlights a striking difference in how men and women experience the workplace.

According to the survey, 63 per cent of women believe gender has influenced their professional careers.

Among men, only 32 per cent agree.

For Amaia Marsà, Vice President of the Tech Tourism Cluster, that perception gap itself is part of the problem.

“As the metrics show, there is a gender gap in perceptions, and we need to work on it,” she said.

“We need to involve everybody in this so that they are aware of the inequality in our industry.”

Put simply, gender equality cannot be a conversation only women have.

The Quiet Career Trade-Off

Another factor shaping leadership pathways is motherhood.

The Turijobs research found 22 per cent of women have postponed motherhood due to economic pressure or work demands, compared with 12 per cent of men.

Meanwhile, just 14 per cent of women reported having a partner who primarily cares for children, compared with 38 per cent of men.

These figures help explain why leadership representation still lags behind workforce participation.

The travel industry, with its long hours, time-zone hopping and relentless pace, has never been famous for accommodating family life.

That reality is slowly changing, but not quickly enough.

Advice From Women Already There

For those climbing the ladder today, the panel’s advice was refreshingly pragmatic.

Gelardi’s message was simple: recognise your own achievements.

“I recommend women to claim their success and do not downplay what they have achieved.”

Kastberg emphasised the importance of building trusted networks and trusting one’s instincts.

Marsà highlighted the importance of learning to delegate, something many leaders struggle with.

And Hertonen perhaps summed it up best.

“Document and show what you do. Don’t shrink yourself to fit into a role, so make sure that you find the role that needs exactly what you have to offer.”

A Milestone Not the Destination

The appointment of Shaikha Al Nowais to lead UN Tourism is undeniably significant.

It signals that leadership across the global travel industry is evolving.

But symbolism alone does not change statistics.

If tourism genuinely wants to reflect the people who power it from hotel floors to airline cabins to digital travel platforms, the next challenge is ensuring leadership opportunities grow at the same pace as the workforce itself.

The industry has broken one ceiling.

Now it has to make sure the door stays open.

The full Belvera Partners discussion can be viewed here.