Why so few women hold top positions
IT’S well known that, while
the local travel industry is run
by women, it’s led by men.
“The economic downturn of
recent years has impacted
the number of female
entrepreneurs venturing into
the travel industry,” comments
Robyn Christie, Travelport’s
country manager for South
Africa. “As the industry
struggled to keep profitability
up, it stifled the buoyant growth
of ‘girl power’ we were so
proud of a few years ago.”
Robyn believes things are
changing, however, saying that
there are many TMCs owned
and managed by dynamic
women who continue to
develop and transform the
travel industry space.
A big part of the problem
is gender mainstreaming,
points out Carla Da Silva, Air
Mauritius regional manager for
Africa and Latin America. “The
percentage of women versus
men in senior roles is still very
low. This is fact.” She says,
in her experience women are
normally promoted based on
a proven track record whereas
men are promoted based on
potential and contacts.
“In order to secure
opportunities or be considered
for an opportunity, women
are required to work a
little harder and prove
themselves to receive the
equal acknowledgement and
credibility for an opportunity,”
agrees Thaybz Khan,
contemporary brand manager
of Cruises International.
She adds that, while women
are often stereotyped as
emotional beings, men are
regarded as level-headed and
therefore tend to fill higher
positions more quickly.
“I think it’s a mindset that
the traditional roles such as
gm and ceo must be filled
by men,” comments Caron
Crocker, ITC of Club Travel.
Carla says the industry
lacks a culture of mentorship,
coaching and encouragement.
“There is no centralised
approach to coaching and
mentoring women.” She adds
that, from her perspective men
are excellent at connecting
with their male counterparts
in terms of sharing ideas,
asking for assistance, support,
promotion and even money,
whereas women with all their
other responsibilities tend not
to connect as often to share
ideas and ask for help.
She says promotion of
women should be included
in the strategic agenda of an
organisation, with an ongoing
review and focused plan.
“Companies need to formalise
mentoring and coaching roles
and relationships,” agrees
Kim Botti, director of Lee
Botti and Associates. “When
looking at some profiles of
current male leaders in the
industry, it can be seen that
some of them have come from
other, non-related industries,
bringing with them financial
or general management
skills that shareholders find
appealing in order to help
grow their businesses in these
unpredictable and uncertain
times.”
Many women know how to
organise a trip and market
themselves, agrees Leigh
Mitchell, ITC of Travel4Fun
(a Club Travel ITC), but are not
guided on business skills, how
to run successful companies
and how to invest their money
and make it grow. “As an ITC,
I’m happy with my day-to-day
business running and income,
but I have to broaden my views
on how to make more money
with bigger returns.”
Women are traditionally
also less inclined to promote
themselves. As such, Kim
says companies should create
environments of progressive
growth, leadership and
development where women
are encouraged to propel
themselves forward.
It’s the everyday small things
that have the potential to
hold women back, comments
Robyn. She refers to some
of what she has learnt from
Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg,
who says women often get
interrupted more often than
men and may find it difficult
to confront the colleague who
interrupted them.
“Likewise, we know men get
credit more easily for their
ideas than women. So coming
to the table and saying, ‘This
was a great project and was
based on Mary’s idea,’ is
another way we can empower
women and something I push
in my team.”
Fear and lack of support
from fellow female colleagues
is another challenge, says
Thaybz. “Women can hold
themselves or fellow female
colleagues back because of
the fear of seeing another
woman become more
successful than you are.”
“I think the only time a
woman should lower her gaze
towards another woman would
be to compliment her on the
shoes she’s wearing.”
SAA golden girl cracks major marketing awards
SAA head of marketing,
Kim Thipe, has been
named one of the 15
top women in marketing
in the world by the
Direct Marketing News
2016 Marketing Hall of
Femme.
The award is given
annually, honouring
the most senior
female marketers in
organisations of all
sizes and across all
industries.
Kim started her career
in advertising before
switching to work at
executive level on big
brands like FNB, M-Net
and YFM. But it is her
work at South African
Airways that attracted
the attention of the
DMS team.
DMS described her
as “one of the most
prodigious movers of
people”, responsible
for a multi-channelled
marketing strategy at
SAA that saw passenger
insights contributing
towards the strategy
behind messaging and
tactics to drive both
revenue and brand
performance.
The everyday balancing act
WORK-LIFE balance is an
area in which many women
battle. “Women need
to manage a balanced
lifestyle while raising
children and supporting
family in a demanding
‘always on’ career,”
comments Vanya Lessing,
ceo of Sure Travel.
She says, in line with
this, many organisations
are bringing ‘new
generation’ thinking
to their workplaces to
support professionals.
“Flexi-time is at the
top of the list for most
professionals.”
“Travel is not a nineto-five
job and, as such,
I think trying to balance
work and home life is
the main challenge for
women,” agrees Club
Travel’s Caron Crocker.
While Kim Botti of Lee
Botti and Associates
says this challenge is
not unique to travel, she
says it is perhaps more
pronounced due to the
travel requirements
within the industry.
She adds that, as women
may find it difficult to
travel often for work, this
may open doors for their
male counterparts who are
generally more adaptable
in this regard.
Tammy Hunt, operations
director for eTravel, says
as a professional, mother
and wife, she understands
the challenges women
face to balance demands.
“However, ensuring you
have a support structure
in place will allow you to
provide the confidence in
your peers that you are up
for the challenge and are
capable of doing the job at
hand.”
She says, ultimately
a woman’s career is in
her own hands. “If you
want to make it, make
it happen by proving you
can deliver without the
expectation of preferential
treatment because you are
a woman. I believe that
if you are suited to the
position you will be given
the opportunity, which has
certainly been the case
throughout my career.”
The opportunities for
women are in empowering
themselves, embracing
their careers and taking
their future into their own
hands, agrees Megan
Vorster, Peopleworks
Leader for Flight Centre.
She adds that companies
in the industry need to
develop a belief in the
empowerment of women
and for it to become a part
of their company culture.
“Female employees have
the same, if not more, to
offer companies than their
male counterparts.”
In order to succeed
Vanya believes that
women should align their
aspirations, lifestyle
and goals to the career
that will suit them best.
“A good start is to get
a personality profile
assessment done, identify
your strengths and channel
your career in the direction
that best suits you.”
Where do companies go wrong?
WHEN asked where
companies went wrong when
taking care of their female
employees, 138 respondents
to a survey recently
conducted on TNW’s sister
publication, eTNW, offered a
wide variety of suggestions.
However, there was a general
theme that ran through the
frustrations experienced by
women and this relates to
the level of flexibility offered
in the travel work space.
One respondent noted that
women within the workplace
were not considered
differently to men. This was
echoed by another agent
who commented that, once
women married and had
children, their lives naturally
had to change. “Companies
aren’t able to adapt to
these changes. As such,
they end up losing a lot of
good-quality consultants to
companies that are more
flexible.”
Another respondent
said that women who
had children needed to
put their children first.
However, companies didn’t
always appreciate this and
sometimes complained when
employees were required to
attend to a sick child.
For single mothers, this is
a particular concern. One
female travel professional
said there was minimal
empathy for mothers within
the workplace. “Single
moms, in particular, need
time off to attend school
functions, tend to sick kids
and fetch kids from school,”
said one agent. “It’s also
hard to attend after-work
functions.
“Companies forget that
most women today are
single parents and do not
have back-up when everyday
changes in the schedule
occur.”
In light of this, one travel
professional suggested that
women should be allowed
to work from home when
necessary to avoid having to
take a lot of time off work
to see to their additional
responsibilities.
One agent even pointed
out that many women would
be prepared to work longer
hours if it meant that they
could have some flexi-time to
be able to work around their
families.
What do women in travel want?
AS THE travel industry’s
workforce primarily consists
of women, it’s important for
employers to understand
what women in travel want.
What makes them come
to work in the mornings
and, when all is said and
done, what makes them
leave?
In a survey recently
conducted by TNW’s
sister publication, eTNW,
138 agents shared their
thoughts on some of the
critical elements that can
make or break a happy
work environment.
According to respondents,
growth opportunities are
what matter to them most
at work, with 67% of agents
selecting this as a key
factor.
A high salary (57%),
good relationships with
co-workers (54%) and
acknowledgement (54%)
were also deemed by
women in the industry as
important elements in a
happy work environment.
Opportunity to travel scored
lowest, with just 48% of
agents saying this was an
important consideration.
What matters most at work?
important consideration
for employers. This was
followed by agents saying
that those who had children
found it difficult to work
late (52%) and attend afterhours
events (46%).
Personal safety when
attending events seems
to be another concern for
female agents, with almost
half (46%) saying they
thought this was something
employers needed to be
aware of.
Of slightly less importance
was maternity leave, which
only 42% of respondents
selected as a necessary
consideration. Interestingly,
travelling for business was
not a particular concern
for women with children
as only 33% said this
was something employers
needed to be aware of.
Apparently female travel
professionals are relatively
unfazed by men who play
golf, something that is often
used by professionals within
the industry as an effective
networking tool. But women
say they don’t feel there
is a lack of female-centric
networking activities for
them to engage in, and
that the lack thereof is
not a concern for them. A
scant 19% of respondents
highlighted this as
something that employers
within the travel industry
should be aware of.
Women are complex
the
unique needs of women
in the workplace, it seems
most agents would like
their employers to take
greater cognisance of the
responsibilities they have
towards their children.
Home emergencies that
might require time away
from work were the biggest
concern for women, with
74% of respondents
highlighting this as an
A GREATER awareness of the
emotional complexity that
most women experience was
also highlighted by a number
of different respondents.
Women need greater
consideration towards
their emotional needs,
commented one respondent.
Another agent agreed, saying
that employers often didn’t
have an understanding
of the complex emotions
women experienced and
should acknowledge this
more often.
Women should be
allowed to be emotional in
their work another agent
believed. “If companies fully
understood the emotional
make-up of women, it
would definitely bring them
greater satisfaction in the
workplace.”
“Clear, transparent and
consistent communication
is probably one of the
most important areas
where employers get it
wrong,” said another female
travel professional.” She
pointed out that this was a
“no-brainer” when it came
to keeping women happy
and could make or break
relationships.
One respondent said
employers also often went
wrong as there was a lack of
understanding when it came
to their employees’ personal
needs. “We have far more
responsibilities these days
than men but we are not
given any additional benefits
in the workplace.”
Women are not like
men
Interestingly, one
professional pointed
out that, while women
were expected to be as
aggressive as men within
the workplace, they often
had a different approach
to getting things done.
“Companies think that
women should have the
same approach as men
when it comes to being a
go-getter,” she said.
“Some companies,
unfortunately, think that
women should be like men
– tough,” agreed another
respondent.
Equally, it can be perceived
that a demonstration of
strength in the workplace
means that women are
able to easily switch off
their emotions. “Employers
assume that ‘strong’
women have no emotions,
presuming that we are
superwomen who can handle
anything without breaking
down.”
In fact, some female
travel professionals feel
that it is harder for men to
understand them and that,
for this reason, it can be
beneficial to have a female
manager. One respondent
voiced this, saying that
she found working with a
woman boss to be more
beneficial, as female
managers tended to be
more understanding,
particularly when it came to
family responsibilities.
“I feel that women are
not taken seriously or given
opportunities to prove
themselves,” said one
agent. “They are not seen as
true breadwinners or given
the same promotions men
would receive.”
Another agent pointed out
that because women were
not always viewed as the
breadwinner of the family,
they were sometimes paid
smaller salaries.
Ultimately, the success
of companies in keeping
their female staff happy
is summed up by one
female travel professional:
“Companies need to start
looking at their staff as
people and not just a source
of income for the company.
The moment companies put
their women first they will be
able to embark on the best
possible relationship with
their staff.
Does the workplace favour men?
THE issue of whether men
are provided with greater
benefits in the travel
industry seems to be a
murky one and female
travel agents are divided
in their response as to
whether this is a real issue
or not.
When asked whether
women in travel were paid
less than men in a survey
recently conducted by
TNW’s sister publication,
eTNW, the majority of
respondents (51%) said
no. While a close 49% of
respondents said yes .
Bea Tollman given lifetime achievement award
BEATRICE
Tollman,
president and
founder of
the boutique
Red Carnation
Hotel
Collection
has been
honoured
with the
prestigious
Lifetime
Achievement
Award at The
Cateys 2016,
in celebration
of her lifelong
contribution
to the hotel
and restaurant sectors.
The Cateys, which
took place on July 5
at London’s Grosvenor
House Hotel, are the
official awards of The
Caterer and are widely
recognised as an
important event in the UK
hospitality industry.
Over a
career
spanning six
decades, Bea
has built an
award-winning
collection of
17 five- and
four-star
boutique
hotels in
London,
Dorset,
Guernsey,
Ireland,
Geneva,
Florida
and South
Africa. Worldrenowned
properties within the
collection include The
Milestone Hotel in
London; The Oyster
Box Hotel and Spa in
Umhlanga Rocks, Durban;
the Hotel d’Angleterre
in Geneva and Ashford
Castle in County Mayo,
Ireland.
Where are the men in travel?
TNW put the question
to female travel agents,
asking for their opinions
on why there are so many
women in the industry but
so few men.
Responses ranged from
the perceptions that men
have of travel to saying
that women are simply
better suited to travel
and that men see it as
a profession with few
opportunities.
Women are wellsuited
to travel
Women possess qualities
that are well-suited to the
travel environment, some
agents believe. “Travel
takes a lot of patience,
compassion and knowing
how to handle different
personalities.
“Although men can have
all these attributes too,
women are stronger when
it comes to consulting.”
One female consultant
pointed out that women
were potentially more
effective when it came
to admin-type
responsibilities.
“We pay more attention
to details and adding little
extras on to travel plans.”
What’s more, some
female travel
professionals believe
women are better suited
because they handle
stress more easily.
“Women were built for
constantly being on the
go. Our bodies can often
handle a lot more stress
than men and, because
of this, we are able to
face each new day with
a fresh attitude and are
constantly able to handle
difficult situations that
arise with the panache
that clients need.”
Incorrect perceptions
Many travel professionals
believe there are few men
in the industry because
travel is seen as a
woman’s career.
“People generally
assume that travel is a
woman’s job, just like
being a nurse or a Sunday
school teacher,” said one
travel professional.
“Travel is seen as a pink
collar job, just as women
are still seen as being
capable only of lower
management jobs,” agreed
another respondent.
Few benefits in travel
Other respondents to the
survey felt it was because
men viewed travel as a
profession that didn’t
offer many benefits as the
reason for the dearth of
men in travel.
“Salaries are low, so
men tend to steer clear
when starting out,” said
one respondent.
The pay is low, agreed
another agent. “Travel
is considered a ‘service
industry’ and men don’t
typically like to be in
service; they would rather
be in charge.”
One female travel
professional said she
thought it was likely men
viewed travel as menial
work with a lot of admin
that required attention to
detail.
Tips from the top...
TNW asked some of the
top women in travel how
women can reach the top
of their game.
Travelport’s Robyn
Christie says: “Your
ambition must excite
you to the extent that it
becomes infectious to
those around you.”
She says she has
always been a proactive
learner and observed
her colleagues and
competitors with the goal
of learning from others’
mistakes and keeping
well informed.
“My success was
driven by those who
walked before me. I’m
very grateful to have
been mentored by some
amazing people.”
Most important is
to surround yourself
with winners, says
Air Mauritius’s Carla
Da Silva. “Adopt and
establish both male and
female mentors, coaches
and sponsors, creating
a circle of successful
leaders in your arena that
you can trust and turn
to.” She also emphasises
the importance of
continuous learning and
development along with
innovation. It’s important
to value and strive for
excellence in all you do
with absolute integrity,
she adds.
Building a network of
trustworthy relationships
is one of the most
important keys to
success, says Sure
Travel’s Vanya Lessing. “I
took every opportunity to
learn, motivate, excel and
strengthen confidence
in my abilities. I am
always prepared to do
more and step up to
the plate boldly.” Vanya
says if female travel
professionals have clear
goals, work towards them
diligently and have the
ability to think on their
feet in a crisis, producing
results in tough times,
they will be noticed.
