Rising against the odds

It is encouraging to see women leaders taking up challenges and growing professionally and financially in tourism industry, says Monia Kapoor, Executive Committee Member, OTOAI.

Janice Alyosius

In recent years, we have seen a steep rise in women leadership in the tourism industry, be it managing a travel company or working in various other tourism fields. “It is encouraging to see more and more women are taking up challenging in field jobs, such as a tour facilitator and heading company sales. This surely opens up the possibility of women’s empowerment since it gives them responsibility to use their skills to manage multiple tourism ancillaries and at the same time engage equally with men on a professional level. Tourism is a rapidly growing industry and today’s women are confident and competent enough to conquer more spaces in it,” shared Monia Kapoor, Executive Committee Member, OTOAI and CEO, Travel O Holidays.

Speaking of challenges and achievements, Monia felt that professionally women still face a number of challenges, including unequal or biased opportunities for promotion and training. “Multitasking becomes crucial for them to balance their work and personal obligations. Many women find it difficult to accept qualifying promotions due to the dynamics of working in the tourism industry, such as long working hours and working during the holiday season. At the same time, we can see more women overcoming these challenges, resulting in their professional and financial growth,” she said.

“The advancement of technology has been especially beneficial, giving women the ease of working from home. Women are being offered decision-making positions and equal opportunities for training. We need to sensitise more organisations and entrepreneurs to work towards making their working environment more flexible and safer for women,” she suggested.

Speaking of how the tourism industry could promote equal opportunities for women, she said, “The last few years have seen many companies and entrepreneurs taking initiatives to promote equal opportunities for men and women in their companies. The focus should be on giving an opportunity to the deserving candidate, be it a man or a woman and creating an unbiased, secure environment at work place for all.”