Industry stakeholders and government bodies recently hosted a women’s leadership talk about strategies to increase the number of females in strategic leadership positions within the tourism industry. Earlier this year, the UN World Tourism Organisation stated that tourism was one of the sectors that employed the highest number of women, and could therefore contribute to gender equality.
Tourism currently accounts for 10% of the world’s jobs and GDP, while 49% of employees in hotels and restaurants in the world are female.
The leadership talk, hosted by the Executive Development Program (EDP) for Women in Tourism, presented by the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) in partnership with the Department of Tourism and the Gauteng Tourism Authority, discussed strategies to increase the number of women in strategic leadership positions in the tourism industry.
Professor Bruce Tracey from Cornell University in the US shared his insights on addressing the most significant barriers to women achieving leadership roles in the hospitality sector.
“Driving more support from male colleagues and superiors, providing effective mentoring opportunities and enriching job assignments and career planning are the main factors that many organisations should address as a solution to the challenges that women face. They need to make a real commitment to develop, grow and empower women leaders,” said Tracey.
A panel of experts included Keitumetse Lebaka, acting CEO of the Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and Chair; Dr. Vuyo Mahlathi, Tourism B-BBEE Charter Council; and Zukiswa Quagraine, GM of Tsogo Sun. The panel was facilitated by Professor Nellie Swart, Unisa Business Tourism Facilitator and Researcher.
Maylene Broderick, Chief Director National Department of Tourism said: “The demand for executive education continues to grow, and we are proud of the partnership with SBL where a curriculum was carefully crafted to allow the development of women executives to manage and lead tourism organisations in strategic decision-making at corporate level and in a global context.”
Adding to this, Dr Mahlathi commented: “Men focus on the job specification, while women tend to focus more on change. Women are drivers of change. Change is good, however we must remain focused on what is expected from us and strive to be the most important piece of the puzzle.”
According to Lebaka, one of CATHSSETA’s mandates is the monitoring of education and training. “Executive education and training are critical in ‘planting a seed’ and helping leaders equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to empower and lead.”
The EDP for Women in Tourism is an initiative of the Department of Tourism, in partnership with Unisa to empower women and build an inclusive, highly competitive and sustainable tourism sector. The programme is presented by Unisa SBL, in collaboration with the Unisa College of Economic and Management Sciences’ Department of Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain, Transport, Tourism and Logistics Management (ESTTL), and is endorsed by the National Department of Tourism (NDT).
“Research indicates that while there is a high participation at lower and entry level, the percentage of women at board and executive management levels in the tourism industry remains low. This is partly due to the unavailability of women managers with the required profile within the tourism industry,” said Swart. “Our Executive Development Programme, which equips graduates with management skills, is a response to this. We have seen great success since 2016 with graduates being promoted or developing the skills and confidence to grow their own tourism businesses.”
Prof Swart assured the NDT of Unisa SBL’s commitment to a project that resonated with the business school’s purpose, which is to turn people’s dreams and aspirations into reality. “In addition, Unisa SBL and ESTTL will continue to ensure that the country’s public and private sector management structures reflect the diversity of South Africa,” read a statement issued by Unisa SBL.
