Featured image: Women are vastly underrepresented in travel, despite making up most of the tourism workforce and being the travel decision makers | Photo by By davideangeliniphoto via Envato

JourneyWoman provides funds for a scholarship to help women get started  

When Iris Serbanescu was considering her next move during the pandemic, she reflected on a disturbing trend she had observed during her career in the travel industry. She noticed that despite the fact that most of the travel industry is made up of women, many of them were working on the front lines or lower-level management, with only a small percentage of women in executive leadership and ownership.

“I started having conversations with prominent women in the travel industry about how hard it was for them to reach their positions either as entrepreneurs or C-suite leaders,” she reflects. “As a woman myself, I observed that much of the money and power in the industry was disproportionately allocated, and that there were very few formal support systems in place for women and non-binary folks specifically for the early stages of entrepreneurship.”  

With that in mind, Serbanescu started wmnsWORK, a tourism business accelerator program that helps women entrepreneurs overcome barriers to starting a business and get them acquainted with key foundational knowledge. Her 12-week program includes topics such as the entrepreneur mindset, financials, social media, marketing, talent and technology.

“With all the travel associations and organizations that exist to support tourism enterprises, there were truly no ecosystems that focused specifically on early-stage entrepreneurship for underrepresented folks,” she says. “It was this realization that led me to harness my networks, knowledge, and passion for working with small businesses and to create a program where women and non-binary entrepreneurs could thrive, learn, and make sincere connections in a small-group setting that would accelerate the growth of their businesses – including those new to tourism with no prior industry background. This was especially important in a time when we are building back the industry after the devastating impacts of the pandemic.”

Women hold fewer than 8 per cent of leadership roles in tourism

Women make up most of the tourism workforce, yet they hold fewer than 20 per cent of general managerial roles and less than 8 per cent of executive positions, Serbanescu says.

“wmnsWORK believes (and the UN agrees, based on their Second Report on Women in Tourism) that part of the reason for this disparity is due to a shocking lack of education and support for women and non-binary entrepreneurs in the early, critical stages of building their tour or hotel business,” she says. “They’re outnumbered by male business owners, and are pressured to adhere to competitive, isolating and/or capitalistic standards of practice set in place by industry leaders who do not share or consider their lived experiences.”

She says this leaves women feeling disillusioned and discouraged with taking the first step on their entrepreneurial journeys. As a result, they abandon their potential.

“Often, even if they do take action, they are met with a lack of resources, guidance, and anti-oppressive spaces,” she says. “This is doubly true of women and non-binary folks who are LGBTQ+ and/or Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, who face additional barriers to success.”

JourneyWoman funds wmnsWork scholarship to empower underserved communities within the tourism industry

This year, JourneyWoman has partnered with wmsnWORK to provide funding for a wmnsWORK scholarship, alongside companies such as Intrepid Travel, TourRadar and the IGLTA Foundation.

These scholarships significantly lower the financial barrier among participants who identify as racialized, disabled, and/or LGBTQ+, who pay only 15 per cent of the program’s cost. Through this initiative, wmnsWORK is creating a culture of inclusivity and support, enabling entrepreneurs to fully express themselves and achieve their business ambitions.

Mentors are another important part of the program to provide participants with a more diverse and comprehensive learning experience. And more media coverage helps increase awareness through media partnerships, social media campaigns, and collaborations with travel professionals.

To learn more about supporting or participating in a wmnsWORK program, visit the website here.

Learn more about our Emerging membership here and take advantage of a 50% discount off the annual emerging membership before October 31, 2024. Please note: all members must undergo a verification process.

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