Women Make Travel: A Look At Some of The Industry's Incredible Female Power

It's not a secret that women make the travel industry; while the majority of those in executive roles are men, 54 percent of all travel and tourism industry workers are women, while the majority of those who purchase travel are also women.

This Women's History Month, we celebrate all the women who came before us while also celebrating the women of today, those who work tirelessly to make the travel industry a welcoming one for all.

While there is still a lot of work to go to achieve equal representation for women in executive roles, this feature celebrates the women who work in all aspects of the industry, from a travel advisor to the first American female cruise ship captain to the prime minister of a beloved Caribbean destination and many, many more.

Captain Kate McCue is the first American woman to become a cruise ship captain; a literal female trailblazer, she says becoming a cruise ship captain was a dream of hers since childhood.

"When I was 12 years old, my parents took me and my brother on a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas. When we got off the ship, I told my dad that I wanted to be the Cruise Director and plan all the fun events onboard the ship. My dad said, 'You can do anything you want, including drive the thing.' That is where the seed was planted and after 19 years at sea, and a steady progression through the ranks, I was promoted to Captain in 2015."

Today, Captain Kate is the captain of Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, the Celebrity Beyond. She was recognized in 2015 as the only American woman to captain a cruise ship when she was named captain of the Celebrity Summit ship and is still the only American woman to captain a cruise ship.

"Being part of a movement started by Celebrity Cruises' President & CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, that has seen representation of women on our bridges increase from 2% in 2014 to over 30% today is definitely an accomplishment I'm extremely proud of. One of the greatest joys is to be able to pay it forward with opportunities for well-deserving individuals who previously may not have had chances to get their foot in the door."

Despite being the only American female cruise ship captain, Captain Kate didn't face a lot of discrimination because of her gender, and she attributes that to the incredible diversity of cruise ships.

"Onboard our ships, our crew come from 60 to 75 different nationalities. Everyone is a minority of some sort, be it race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc. Because of this, I've found that we don't pick on each other's differences, but rather we are in a unique environment that celebrates those differences. Therefore, being a female onboard wasn't what defined me."

Captain Kate's advice to others in the industry? Be yourself, and let that inspire your path forward. "I would encourage anyone who wanted to pursue a life at sea to jump in wholeheartedly, but I prefer that rather than following in my footsteps, they forge their own path by bringing their unique personalities and perspectives to each job they do."

Kartika Rodriguez is the Vice President of EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando; she has over twenty-two years of experience working at the park, where she started out in the industrial engineering team before she worked her way to her current position.

Rodriguez's proudest achievements are EPCOT's more recent expansions, as well as its reopening after its closure during the pandemic.

"…being part of the EPCOT transformation is pretty amazing! I am so proud to lead the team that brought to life Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, Harmonious, Space 220 Restaurant, Creations Shop, Club Cool and La Creperie de Paris restaurant, among others - and we're not done with our transformation! There are so many other projects underway that I am excited to see come to life at EPCOT."

"A close second to being a part of the EPCOT transformation work is reopening the resort after our extended closure due to the pandemic, and witnessing how our cast rose to the occasion. I will never forget how happy our guests were on the day we re-opened EPCOT - it was a very special moment with tears of joy from both our guests and cast members! Our guests were cheering and thanking us; it was pretty amazing to see our cast welcoming our guests back."

Rodriguez started her career in a predominantly male industry, but when she began to work at Disney, she found herself inspired to advance her own career by all the women she met in various roles throughout the park: "In my career before coming to Disney, I used to work in a manufacturing environment, which at that time tended to be predominately male, and it was very similar in college studying industrial engineering. However, when I joined Disney twenty-two years ago, I was amazed at the number of women in various levels of leadership! It was empowering and inspirational, and I knew that I wanted to grow in my career and aspire to be one of them!"

"So, I worked really hard, I learned as much as I could, took on any assignments presented to me and listened to a lot of smart leaders (both males and females). I found my voice and I shared my goals and aspirations with my leadership, having conversations like 'what do you need me to demonstrate' and 'here's what I believe I am good at.' I built a network and focused on delivering and excelling in every role I took on."

Disney's commitment to diversity and inclusion is also a big draw for Rodriguez.

"There was a time that most companies would not discuss certain topics at work; either due to the fear of making individuals uncomfortable, or it was deemed inappropriate for the workplace. I am very proud of Disney and how we are having those difficult conversations and discussing what diversity and inclusion means to all of us. We are still experiencing growing and learning moments - however, we are not afraid to take those moments on to learn and improve. I have many friends, families and colleagues who have shared that their companies are still afraid of those tough and uncomfortable conversations. Here at Disney, we may not know all of the answers, but we are working to get smarter and getting comfortable with being 'uncomfortable.'"

For Rodriguez, the part that makes her job so fulfilling is making others happy and providing guests to EPCOT with life-long memories, and this translates to others working on public-facing positions in the industry, too.

"Helping create happiness, joy and family memories that last a lifetime … It's an honor and a privilege. Our guests can choose to go anywhere in the world and it's very special to be trusted with their happiness while they are with us. We are going to do our best to ensure that they have an awesome time! That is a key takeaway for me giving any advice to women aspiring to work in the travel industry: be constantly focused on the guest experience. Building strong partnerships within your team, empowering your employees to improve a guest's day…that is how you find that special, downright MAGICAL, way to make time-of-your-life vacations happen!"

Julia Simpson is the President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, an organization that aims to promote the growth and recognition of the travel and tourism industry as a main global economic driver and to help encourage a socially, culturally and sustainably responsible industry.

Simpson has enjoyed a prolific career in both the travel industry and in the United Kingdom's government before assuming her current role.

"Prior to joining WTTC in August 2021, I spent fourteen years in the aviation sector on the Board of British Airways and Iberia and as Chief of Staff at International Airlines Group. Before joining BA, I was senior adviser to the UK Prime Minister. I held a number of key positions in the UK government and public sector, including Director at the Home Office and Department for Education and Employment; Assistant Chief Executive at the London Borough of Camden; and head of communications at the Communication Workers Union. I've had experience in both private and public sectors, so I bring the expertise of both areas of Travel & Tourism to WTTC."

Two things that have propelled Simpson forward in her career are taking the opportunities that have come her way and learning to understand people. "I have had lots of great opportunities and I have taken them. And I have worked alongside talented women and men. Yes, there is most definitely unconscious bias - both men and women are hardwired to behave and think in certain ways - but if you are aware of it you can deal with it. I meet so many talented people who regardless of gender are facing new challenges. One thing about the human race is we are very adaptable."

As a leader of the WTTC, Simpson is hyper-aware of the disparity in gender in the travel industry's executive positions. The year before she joined WTTC, it unveiled the WTTC Women's Initiative Declaration at the WTTC Global Summit in Cancun, which travel companies all over the world signed in a commitment to encouraging women to enter more executive roles.

"Women are still not at enough top tables. But it is improving and there are some great women leaders. My role is to keep this as a hot topic, not only for ourselves, but for the generations to come…Leaders from the private and public sectors and academia, such as Mexican Caribbean, Hilton, Carnival Corporation, Apple Leisure Group, Intrepid, Expedia, IHG, Barcelona Tourism and CLIA, joined forces at the Global Summit in Cancun to promote diversity and inclusivity to boost women's equality."

As for Simpson's advice to other women in the industry? Believe that you can do anything, and take the time to figure out how to get there, but also be aware of the support you receive at home, too.

"I love International Women's Day. It is a moment in time for every woman in our industry to say - I can do any role I want in Travel & Tourism, let me pause for breath and work out my route map to get there and who can help me…" she began.

"I always say to women leaders that as well as thinking about our work environments, it is important to ensure you feel safe and supported in your personal life. It is very hard to achieve great success if the foundation of support at home is not there. Good luck and go for it!"

Jennifer Barnwell is the President of Curator Resort & Hotel Collection, an independent hotel and resort collection that includes over eighty incredibly unique properties around the U.S., both modern and historic.

Barnwell's career was largely focused on the hotel industry from her time in college onwards. "During college, I established an operational hospitality foundation at the hotel on campus during all four years in almost every hourly position within the hotel. I also worked in hotel operations interning at an airport hotel and Florida resort during the summers. These experiences gave me the background to understand hotel operations, employee responsibilities and concerns and guest expectations."

"I am an analytical person and chose to focus on finance and real estate as I left school to start my career. I have a long career (25 years) working with hotel ownership companies. I've worked within various disciplines, including ownership, asset management, hotel operations, brokerage, development, financing, renovation and construction. I am very proud that I was able to thrive at Tishman Hotel & Realty, making it to Vice President before I left to help start a private investment fund, which led me to Pebblebrook Hotel Trust.

"It's been quite the experience to transition from a private to a public company. Being on the Boards of both HAMA and BLLA have been proud moments as well. I'm also proud that I was able to help launch Curator Hotel & Resort Collection and, in a little over a year, have been able to successfully lead the collection to include more than 80 independent hotels, resorts and small brands."

Being a woman climbing the corporate ladder has been a challenging but rewarding experience for Barnwell, who noted that she didn't really have anyone to look up to as a woman in the corporate world.

"As I was starting and then progressing in my career, there just weren't a lot of women in higher positions for me to aspire to and be inspired by. In many ways, it's still like this today. Executives are predominantly men in the corporate space. Men and women are different - we should be equal, but we're different. I have witnessed and 'put up with' some behavior that was not exactly professional. And I had to figure out the right things to do and say to get noticed and considered for promotions.

"But I always tried not to let anything discourage me. I am very competitive in nature and strive to be the best at everything I do. There have been many, many late nights and weekends of work over the last twenty-five years. And perhaps that delayed fulfillment in my personal life since I got married and had children relatively late in life."
Despite her challenges, Barnwell is happy in her position and encourages women in the travel industry to be vocal and involved. "I would absolutely say to be vocal. Volunteer to work on projects, volunteer to be a part of new initiatives and always ask questions. Be present. And, do not be afraid to be honest about your personal needs. I have family obligations from time to time, and that's the truth."

Pilar Arizmendi-Stewart is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Americas region of Palladium Hotel Group, which comprises several brands besides the Palladium ones, including TRS Hotels and Hard Rock Hotels.

Arizmendi-Stewart has over twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality industry and has always had a passion for it.

"I was born and raised in Mexico and have always had a deep passion for introducing new audiences to Mexico, Dominican Republic and Jamaica. I've worked across different areas of hospitality over my 25+ years of experience, from sales, marketing, public relations and advertising, to hotel operations, and am still so passionate about this industry. Since joining Palladium Hotel Group in September 2018 as VP of sales and marketing, The Americas, I've experienced so many amazing milestones with the company. In November 2019, we debuted our new Costa Mujeres properties, Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa and the adults-only TRS Coral Hotel, which have more than 1,100 guest suites between them. The TRS Coral Hotel was inducted into "The Leading Hotels of the World" collection, an elite group of more than 375 luxury hotels globally with exceptional architecture and design…"

One thing that's helped her as she's grown her career is having a multicultural perspective. Since the Americas are such a diverse region, she's able to communicate with and understand other perspectives from having grown up in Mexico and from her time working in diverse markets from Asia to Europe and the U.S.

"Having spent my entire career in Mexico but working across different markets including the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America, I have developed a multicultural perspective that has helped me immensely. I'm proud to represent a company that encourages evolution, differentiation, quality, and global thinking. These are pillars that have continued to inspire me as a woman in this industry."

Her advice for women in the travel and hospitality industry? Be adaptable and ambitious. "I would tell women in travel & hospitality to recognize their strength as a woman in their field. This industry is incredibly diverse, tenacious and important worldwide, just as women are. Leaders in this field have to be incredibly adaptable and ambitious, and those are strengths to develop and advance for a successful career in travel and hospitality."

While she might not work directly within the travel industry, Evelyn Wever-Croes, the Prime Minister of Aruba, guides the popular Caribbean island's policies, which are impacted by and directly impact the island's tourism industry.

For Evelyn, her entry into politics was unexpected but also right: "I was born into a family of politicians and was not planning to seek elected office until one day, I felt that I was running out of excuses not to be in public office. To me, I thought that if someone has to do it, why not me? I just couldn't look at a situation and complain, without any action."

"My first job was in Aruba's tax department after I graduated from Universiteit Leiden in the Netherlands. Thirteen years later, after rising to lead the office of the Tax Inspectorate, I decided to go into private practice as a tax attorney while raising my family. I entered into politics in 2009, when I was elected to Parliament."

Tourism has been a main economic drive since the closing of its oil refinery in 1986, which influences many aspects of Wever-Croes' policy-making.

"While our year-round sunny weather and pristine beaches draw visitors from all over the world every year, we have to ensure that our economy is diversified. That is my vision for Aruba - to diversify our economy, preserve our heritage and address the threat of climate change."

"The pandemic, which has proved to be a huge challenge for all of us around the world, has also brought the opportunity for the tourism industry to press the reset button and refocus on sustainable tourism development. It is with that lens that from an investment standpoint, Aruba is seeking a high-value, low-impact approach to tourism and the hospitality industry."

"When I took office, I acknowledged that there are inequities in Aruba, which is why I pushed the human-centered "Hunto Pa Aruba" ("Together For Aruba") socio-economic plan. The focus was to strengthen the family nucleus, protect vulnerable groups and to create cohesion and social responsibility in the Aruban community."

"Getting more women to run for political office has always been a priority for me. When I first got into politics, I started to refuse to accept the first 'no' that I would hear from so many women. They would often list the same reasons I used to give for not wanting to enter politics - private sector career, family, personal life. So initially I understood, but I started sharing my story and how I was able to transition from the private sector, serve in public office and be there for my family. Today, in Aruba, we have many women in top positions."

Wever-Croes believes that women should push themselves out of their own comfort zones in order to make a difference in the world. "My advice to women, not only in the travel industry but also to all women, is that staying in our comfort zone won't bring us the change we need for ourselves, our families and our collective futures."

Paulina Salach is the co-founder and managing director of Spoon and Kinori Group. Headquartered out of Puerto Rico, Kinori Group is an events company that just hosted the first James Beard Foundation Taste America event on the island, while Spoon is its culinary tourism division, offering fun foodie tours of Puerto Rico's distinctive flavors and dishes.

Like many currently in the industry, Salach didn't begin her career in tourism or the travel agency, but it became her calling after she moved from New York to Puerto Rico.

"I moved to Puerto Rico over 15 years ago and immediately fell in love with the country - its people, traditions, natural wonders, colors and of course its rich culinary heritage. With a desire to learn more, I dove deep into the history of the island and in my free time, learned how to cook from my Puerto Rican mother-in-law - a strong, loving woman who is a virtuoso in the kitchen and a force to be reckoned with! My studies in and out of the kitchen sparked an urge to share this knowledge with others," she began.

"I quit my job at a public relations agency and with my husband as my business partner we founded Kinori Group, our events company, and Spoon, its culinary tourism division. Today, our company has been featured in national and international publications, we employ the most amazing team and we just wrapped up the first James Beard Foundation Taste America event in Puerto Rico. It's been a wild and challenging ride, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Her road to co-founding Spoon, her first enterprise in Puerto Rico, wasn't always a smooth ride, and she encountered challenges along the way.

"I launched my company in my early twenties. As a young woman from New York, I had few business connections and yes, the fact that I was a woman created some challenges. There were many times I sat in a room full of mostly men and although I engaged, I was often disregarded. Nevertheless, I did not let others' indifference or anything else stop me from following the entrepreneurial path I had chosen. Through determination, persistence, follow-through, and attention to detail I was able to 'prove' myself and gain the trust and respect of many who today are my friends and colleagues in the industry."

Salach's advice to other women in the industry? Celebrate the little things, but don't overwork yourself: "Be kind, be persistent, take time for yourself, and don't take everything so seriously! Women in the tourism industry are fierce and powerful. We're planners and notorious perfectionists who tend to overwork and over-stress. I've learned over the years to let things go - what doesn't get done today, will get accomplished tomorrow. Take that vacation, disconnect after a certain hour and celebrate even the smallest wins."

Jane Poynter is the co-founder and co-CEO of Space Perspective, a pioneering company that combines space travel innovations with the travel industry. She's been on the forefront of so many incredible developments in the space industry and is now working to make space tourism accessible for a wider audience.

"I was privileged to be on the design team and first crew to live inside Biosphere 2, the world's first human-made biosphere whose mission was to be the world's first laboratory to learn about planet Earth and to serve as a prototype space base…During the two years I was sealed inside, I had the profound experience of being viscerally and literally part of my biosphere, which gave me the expanded perspective of being a crewmember of our planetary biosphere, Spaceship Earth, and is a similar perspective change that astronauts have when they see Earth from space."

"That experience set me on a path to take as many people as possible to space to see our planet from an expanded perspective. I founded my first company, Paragon Space Development Corp, with another Biosphere 2 crew member, Taber MacCallum. That company today has human habitat technologies on almost all U.S. human spacecraft and soon going to the moon."

"Since then, Taber and I flew then Google Executive Alan Eustace to 136,000 feet to become the highest person ever to fly under a SpaceBalloon, a record he still holds today. That was an amazing stepping stone to Taber's and my current company, Space Perspective, whose mission is to take more people than previously possible to have the quintessential astronaut experience of seeing Earth in space."

"Our Spaceship Neptune carries eight Explorers and a pilot in a comfortable capsule flown by a SpaceBalloon instead of rockets, which provides a very gentle and safe way to go to space. Everything in our careers has led Taber and me to this, and it will be a momentous day when we have our first commercial flight planned for the end of 2024."

An illustrious career in preparing the technologies that will one day help humans to survive not only in space, but also on other planets, has led to this new foray into space travel.

"You could say that Space Perspective is the culmination of everything I have done to now. In one way or another, everything I have been involved with and led has been about taking people to space. It is a huge honor to be helping people to fulfill their dreams. The experience of seeing Earth in space is by all accounts transformational. Astronauts report being deeply moved by it - it is a perspective change that lasts a lifetime."

"That is what we are offering people at Space Perspective, the opportunity to have a transformational and purposeful experience that until now so few have had. In the first decade of this millennium less than ten private citizens went to space and paid tens of millions to go."

"Space travel is here and is a growing opportunity…We put tickets on sale publicly in June 2021 and have sold almost 600 tickets already. Almost half our tickets have been bought as full capsule flights. People want to go with loved ones. We work with travel advisors, and I encourage everyone who has clients who may love to have a truly wondrous experience in the new destination of space to take a look at everyone involved in the industry. We would love to work with you to give your customers the experience of a lifetime."

Susie Chau started her travel agency, Carpe Diem Traveler, in 2016 and has since found great success, having been recognized as a Conde Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialist for 2021 and 2022.

But while she had experience traveling abroad, she didn't begin working in the travel agency until later: "Ever since I started traveling internationally in college, I've been hooked. I've been fortunate enough to travel extensively, so people naturally came to me with questions and advice. Once I learned more about the industry, I knew I had to give owning a travel agency a shot."

"Before starting my travel agency, I was a management consultant for about thirteen years. I chose consulting since I figured it'd be my best chance at working abroad. I was able to achieve that goal within three years with my first international role in Rome for five months, which was a dream. In 2014, my husband and I took a year-long sabbatical where we traveled to all seven continents. That experience solidified my desire to become a part of the travel industry and I started my agency in 2016," said Chau. "Coming from a technology background, it was refreshing seeing more women than men in the same position as me as a travel advisor."

"The biggest challenge I've encountered so far is balancing becoming a mother and a business owner. I had my son in the summer of 2020, so covid made my maternity leave a lot easier than expected! There are still challenges balancing work and raising a child, just as every working mother experiences. I'm continually making adjustments to my boundaries on both sides of my life to figure out what works best for me."

Chau's advice for other women in the industry? Work together to uplift one another: "I have met and worked with so many incredible women in all facets of the travel industry. I am in constant awe of what we have and can achieve together. I'd just like to encourage women to keep pushing for improvements in their respective areas for the greater good of the industry. Considering the number of women involved in one of the biggest industries in the world, we can really make a massive impact together."