Leadership roles still elude women: Panel

The second edition of the Hospitality Her Way initiative, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, addressed the persistent gender disparity in leadership within the hospitality and tourism sectors. Despite women driving 80% of global travel bookings, they occupy only 16.6% of senior decision-making roles in the UAE’s private sector, compared to nearly a third in public entities. The panel, led by Georgette Davey, Managing Director of the Academy, highlighted the need for structured pathways to advance women into leadership. Public sector achievements in the UAE, driven by national frameworks, contrast with the private sector’s lagging progress, where organic career advancement fails to bridge the gap. Emma Campbell, Sector Marketing Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) – Abu Dhabi, stressed the importance of formal mentorship programs with clear focus areas and regular check-ins. She noted that post-pandemic travelers prioritize cultural authenticity, an area where women often excel through intuition and audience insight. Katrin Herz, Multi-property General Manager at The Abu Dhabi Edition, Marriott Hotel & MEA Downtown Abu Dhabi, underscored the shift toward collaboration among female hoteliers. Marriott’s structured development programs and internal hiring quotas aim to build confidence among operational staff, with Herz asserting that women in line roles can rise to senior director or vice president positions. Georgette Davey emphasized that academic institutions must prepare graduates for leadership through industry internships. Les Roches Abu Dhabi’s curriculum includes two mandatory six-month internships, ensuring students gain a year of real-world experience before entering the workforce. The panel concluded that systemic changes—such as mentorship, internal hiring quotas, and institutional support—are critical to reflecting women’s consumer influence in senior decision-making roles within the industry.