06 Nov 2019by Charlotte Flach
Group tourism can increase possibilities for gals in Africa, a session hosted by Women in Travel at WTM London has discovered
The panel discussion “How can we use travel and tourism to encourage women empowerment and gender equity in the African Continent?’ invited Sthembiso Diamini, COO and acting CEO at South African Tourism Abigail Mbalo, head chef and founder at 4Roomed eKasi Culture Zina Bencheikh, regional standard supervisor EMEA at Peak DMC and Amelia Diaz, tourism progress specialist at the Global Trade Centre (ITC) to the phase.
In accordance to moderator Alessandra Alonso, founder of Ladies in Vacation, 55% of all companies in Africa are owned by women and 60% to 70% of staff in travel and tourism are female. “Tourism empowers big parts of the globe, but we are still looking at minimal presence for women of all ages in the upper amounts and also difficulties when it arrives to entrepreneurship,” she explained.
Current developments have shown that travellers are hunting for immersive ordeals these as likely into local communities, which then begins to effect that neighborhood, said Diamini.
By way of this, tour operators have the “opportunity to empower women of all ages in the way they style and design tours”, said Bencheikh. This can range from applying female tour guides, to offering experiences or pursuits that give females in African communities the likelihood to be business owners, “even in areas where by there is a significant cultural barrier”.
An case in point of this is a task ITC operates in Gambia wherever tours present cookery tours with community girls. “We have proven females in villages the value of their cooking capabilities, the place visitors will appear just to discover how to cook dinner a neighborhood dish with them.”
In South Africa, “Sustainability Villages” at trade demonstrates are helping woman business people to deliver their items to an global audience. “We motivate delegates to buy from community rural ladies instead than offering them present bags and give delegates vouchers to spend in the Sustainability Village,” claimed Diamini.