Women's Leadership in Tourism meeting held

The meeting on Women's Leadership in Tourism, organized by İSATAG (the İstanbul Travel Agencies Promotion and Development Association), was held at the Elite World Taksim Hotel. The meeting drew attention to the importance of increasing women's employment in the tourism sector. As part of the meeting, the panel titled 'The Glass Ceiling Syndrome: Experiences and a Look to the Future', moderated by İris Cıngı, featured İSATAG President Aylin Özsavaş, journalist Meliha Okur and Türkiye Otelciler Birliği (TÜROB) President Müberra Eresin as speakers. In her remarks, Eresin noted that the share of women's employment in the tourism sector relative to the total number of employees was 37.1 percent, and said: “In accommodation, which makes up the largest part of employment in tourism, this rate is 37.2 percent. Unfortunately, women's employment is not at the level we would like. Our goal is to raise this rate above 50 percent. Tourism needs the strength of women.”

Pointing out that in the accommodation sector women hold less than 40 percent of management positions, less than 20 percent of general management roles and less than 8 percent of board positions, Eresin said: “Women's areas of employment are mostly in the lower ranks. What's more, women's average wages are lower than men's. When gender-sensitive and egalitarian policies are effectively implemented at the national level, the economic empowerment of women in the tourism sector, and consequently the strengthening of the sector, will be achieved.”

The second session of the meeting, which was also attended by TTYD President Oya Narin, İBB Tourism Director Hüseyin Gazi Coşan, İstanbul Chamber of Tourist Guides President Hüseyin Özgür Özaltın and numerous guests, was moderated by tourism professional Sevda Yılgaz.