Women In Travel CIC

🌍 #Neurodiversity in Travel: It's Time to Prioritise Inclusion 🌍 If travel is truly meant to be accessible and inclusive for everyone, then we need to start considering the unique desires and needs of neurodiverse travellers. Neurodiversity covers a range of conditions such as #autism, #Tourette’s, #dyslexia, and #ADHD, all of which are often overlooked in travel planning and experiences. In the Lemongrass Travel PR Annual Travel Trend Report 2024, Alessandra Alonso, MD of Women In Travel CIC in Travel, highlights the importance of this issue: “With 1 in 7 of us assumed to be neuro- atypical which translates into some 25% of the UK workforce, it is critical that the travel and tourism industry begin to focus on how best to serve the needs and aspirations of its growing neurodivergent workforce and clientele”. Alessandra Alonso As we look to the future, it’s clear that creating a truly inclusive travel industry means recognising and embracing neurodiversity. Together, we can ensure that everyone - regardless of how their mind works, has access to meaningful, enriching travel experiences. Learn more about this important trend in the full report: https://lnkd.in/enHfeqYE #NeurodiversityInTravel #InclusionMatters #ADHDAwarenessMonth #DEI #InclusionMatters

It ‘s #worldmentalhealthday and this is a gentle reminder to check on people 📣even when they seem to be well 📣even when they work for the so called ‘happy’ travel industry 📣even if they are work acquaintances rather than long term friends And because I truly believe that ‘the small things’ are often ‘the big things’, here are some helpful numbers you can call in the UK should you ever need to! (Borrowed with thanks from my friend Alison Braganza)

🎉 Join us in welcoming two incredible individuals to Cohort 4 of our Women in Travel Male Allyship Network! 🎉 We’re thrilled to introduce Milka R., Founder/CEO of Globetrotting Dominicana, as our newest mentee, and Paul Simmons, COO of DiamondAir International, as her mentor. Paul shares, “As a male within a senior leadership position. I feel that I have a duty to support and develop DEI initiates and expand the values that I already apply within my business to the wider industry audience. DEI reaches far further than just gender and learning and expanding the industries knowledge upon Neuro, Race, Ethnicity and sexual orientation to mention some are of prime importance to grow competency & and long standing legacy within the industry”. We wish both Milka and Paul every success on the programme. If you’d like to learn more or join the Male Allyship Network, visit https://lnkd.in/eZ3unuci or email simona@womenintravelcic.com. We wish Milka and Paul every success on this transformative journey! 💼🌍 Want to learn more about the Male Allyship Network or get involved? Visit us at https://lnkd.in/gigZ37D6 or email simona@womenintravelcic.com. #MaleAllyship #WomenInTravel #DEI #Mentorship #InclusiveLeadership #TravelIndustry #allyship #allyshipmatters

🔍 Shining a Light on ADHD: Why Awareness and Education Matter 🔍 At the heart of our continued focus on ADHD Awareness is the belief that greater education and understanding are essential to creating truly inclusive environments. ADHD affects millions of people worldwide, yet it’s often misunderstood, underdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely. This needs to change. Earlier this year, we partnered with BCD Travel to host a Neurodiversity in Travel Summit, spotlighting the importance of addressing ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions in the workplace. Hear from Yvette Bryant, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at BCD Travel, who highlighted why DEI must go beyond the commonly discussed areas like race, gender, and sexual orientation: “So in the space of DEI, we all know some diversity dimensions often take centre stage, Right, race and gender and sexual orientation. I like to tell people it's no less than those things, but it also encompasses so much more. So it's so good to see this increased dialogue and focus around these different dimensions.”. ADHD is a critical piece of this puzzle, deserving of more recognition and support. By promoting awareness and fostering inclusivity, we can better understand how neurodiverse individuals bring unique strengths to our teams, cultures, and communities. Let’s continue the conversation this ADHD Awareness Month and beyond, championing understanding, inclusion, and action. Watch the recordings from the Neurodiversity Summit and access extra resources at https://lnkd.in/eBsJrQKz #ADHDAwarenessMonth #Neurodiversity #DEI #ADHD #InclusionMatters

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 Immersive Indian Community Tour in London has been featured as one of the UK’s Best City Walking Tours in the Times and Sunday Times! ✨ Led by the incredible Vaishali Patel, a proud member of Women In Travel CIC Tour Guiding Academy, this tour is a journey through the rich cultural heritage of London’s vibrant Indian community. Read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eXfZgQYH 🗺️ Discover hidden gems, taste authentic Indian cuisine, and experience the colours and stories that make this tour unforgettable. 🎟️ Book the tour at https://lnkd.in/dmVZE9CT

Don’t Miss Out - Join Us TODAY for a Lunch N Learn! 🍽️ From 1 PM, we’re diving into the fast-growing Halal Tourism sector and exploring the crucial role women are playing in shaping its future. 🌍✨ Led by the incredible Hafsa Gaher, F. Inst. TT. , Director & Founder of Halal Travel Network, this session will inspire and inform as we explore how women are driving change in Halal tourism and the exciting opportunities this booming market holds. 🚀 This is one session you don’t want to miss! Bring your lunch, fuel your mind, and join us for this dynamic discussion. 👉 Sign up NOW! https://lnkd.in/eKbF-SPx #WomenInTourism #HalalTravel #InclusionMatters #Empowerment #TourismInnovation #HalalTourism #NationalInclusionWeek #ImpactMatters #InclusionMatters

🚨 Join us at WTM 2024 🚨 📅 Tuesday, 5th Nov 🕓 16:10 - 16:55 📍 Purple Theatre We’re thrilled to be part of the DEAI Summit at World Travel Market (WTM) London with our session: “The Power of Allyship in Creating an Inclusive Workplace” 🌍 In today’s evolving workplace, allyship has become a powerful force for driving inclusion and fostering innovation. It strengthens company culture by promoting a sense of belonging, boosting morale, and incorporating diverse perspectives. In an industry as people-focused as tourism, prioritizing DEAI through allyship and mentorship is not just ethical - it’s a key to long-term success. 🎤 Meet our esteemed speakers: Alessandra Alonso | MD, Women In Travel CIC Shayna Zand | Director of Partnerships & Enterprise Sales, WeTravel David Atkin FIIRSM | Founder & Director, Atkin Jones | Certified B Corp™ Andrew Hunt | Owner, Holiday Architects Nelma N. | Senior Purchasing Executive, Tour Partner Group After the session, enjoy networking and drinks! 🍸 A perfect chance to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and build lasting partnerships. 📢 Don’t miss this valuable conversation on how allyship can transform the tourism industry for the better! See details here: https://lnkd.in/gufdy694 👉 Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on this event and get the latest industry news straight to your inbox. #WTM #WTMLondon #WTM2024 #WomeninTravel #travel #allyship #allyshipmatters #inclusiveworkplace #DEIA

✨ Women in Leadership: Progress, but how sustainable is it?   The latest McKinsey & Company report on Women in the Workplace (Sept 2024) reveals that while women have made modest strides at the VP and SVP levels since 2018, their progress remains fragile. A key factor driving this was the reduction in line roles, which predominantly impacted men, as they held more profit-and-loss and core operations roles.   In the C-suite, the situation is even less promising. Women’s representation increased largely due to the creation of new staff roles in support functions like HR and legal - positions that companies can’t keep adding indefinitely. This path to parity is neither viable nor sustainable. 🌟 It will take > 50 years to achieve gender parity for all women. 22 years for white women ➡️ 👩🏻🤝👩🏼 (⬇️) 48 years for women of color ➡️ 👩🏽🤝👩🏿 (⬆️) 🚺 This is why initiatives like our #LeadHer Programme are critical! 🚺   This programme empowers high-potential women leaders in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors by focusing on:    🔸Leadership development that goes beyond support roles  🔸Tackling workplace bias and stereotypes  🔸Addressing the barriers to retaining diverse talent  🔸Building strategies for driving gender equality and diversity across the industry   Unlike unsustainable paths seen in some sectors, LeadHer focuses on creating real change by equipping women to lead in critical roles that impact business outcomes and long-term success.   🌍 The road to gender parity is long, but with the right tools, support, and mindset, we can accelerate progress. Let’s break down the barriers together!   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eRyC5nT   Alessandra Alonso Lucy Ferguson Fabulous Feminists #WomenInLeadership #LeadHer #leadership #womenLeadership #GenderEquality #Diversityandinclusion #EmpoweringWomen #BreakTheBias #WomenInTravel

🌟 October is ADHD Awareness Month 🌟 This year’s theme, "Awareness is Key!", highlights the importance of open conversations around #ADHD - a topic that deserves far more attention. People with ADHD bring incredible strengths and creativity to the workplace. During IWTTF 2023, Alessandra Alonso sat down with Olly Nicholls, CEO of Attraction World Group | AWG, who stressed the need for more discussions about ADHD within the travel industry. Olly emphasised that we must rethink recruitment processes to empower neurodiverse individuals to truly thrive. As an industry, are we doing enough to support ADHD and #neurodiversity as a whole? What are some of the things we can do to really make a difference? Let’s spark this important dialogue! #ADHDAwarenessMonth #ADHDAwareness #IWTTF #InclusiveWorkplaces