The Travel Industry Strains to Gain Momentum in Reaching Diversity Goals
Photo Credit: Jane Jie Sun (shown here) is the CEO of Ctrip. Among high-profile female CEOs, Gillian Tans leads Booking.com. Ctrip
Skift Take
Diversifying a travel company's C-suite is proving to be a protracted battle. It's one thing to follow anti-discrimination laws and react to sexual harassment claims, and another to practice real inclusion.
At the beginning of 2017, we noted that the travel industry has few female CEOs at major companies, and that diversifying the C-suite would be a first step toward creating products that better serve women. Diverse leadership could also bring cognitive and financial benefits.
But as the year draws to a close, it feels as though things remain a bit stagnant when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
This year Carolyn McCall, a rare female CEO in aviation, announced she would leave EasyJet at the beginning of 2018 after giving the airline a substantial boost.
In the startup arena, hotel booking site Stayful, which enjoyed a majority-female staff and a female CEO who advocated for working women, wound down operations.
Female travelers still struggle to find safety in homesharing and many female business travelers still get insufficient supported from their companies, or at times get passed over for travel opportunities.
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