FiturNext, the sustainability observatory of the International Tourism Fair, looks every year for a challenge to focus on, and in this edition it will do so on gender equality and female empowerment.
María Valcarce, director of Fitur, recalls that social development is one of the pillars of sustainability, and that “gender equality is a critical aspect of social development, since it affects half of the world's population, which treasures much talent and deserves opportunities ”.
Along with the talks and presentations, FiturNext 2021 recognizes three winning initiatives and nine finalists that are examples of good practices and have the capacity to positively impact and be replicated by other industry players.
enlarge photo Ella Aurela, one of the guides in the city of London formed by Women in Travel CIC.
Cultural immersion in London
Women in Travel CIC
Sefanit came to London from Ethiopia;
Kaoutar, from Morocco;
She, from Albania.
All three with little command of English, less money and zero contacts.
Now they conduct
guided
tours
to show the traveler, first-hand, how their communities of origin live in their adopted city.
His immersions in Ethiopian, Moroccan and Balkan London are full of traditions, culture, coffee ceremonies (with Sefanit) and tea (with Kaoutar, and in
online
format
).
They can be booked through the Intrepid Urban Adventures website, thanks to an agreement with Women in Travel CIC, a British social company that uses tourism as a force of positive impact and generator of job opportunities for women at risk of exclusion.
Its founder, Alessandra Alonso, explains by videoconference from the British capital that she has been in the tourism sector for 25 years, and that she began to be interested in gender issues when she worked in a consulting firm and realized “the lack of female representation in the high places ”.
Its training program has trained more than 2,000 women (including Sefanit, Kaoutar and Ella), and one in three have found employment.
Safaris guided by them
Afrikable
Travelers from the Afrikable Solidarity Vacations program become volunteers who help empower the women of the island of Lamu, Kenya, collaborating in literacy workshops or in reflection circles, where self-esteem and confidence are worked. "We wanted to respond to the concerns of many people about participating in a cooperation project," says Lola Serra, co-founder of the NGO and director of the program. A couple of years ago the beneficiaries themselves, already organized as an association, created the Usawa safari. “We saw that those who came to the project also wanted to go on safari and explore Kenya. And the women of Lamu asked themselves: why not show it to them? ”, Serra recalls. With the support of Afrikable,they registered as a tour operator agency and now lead an eight-day nature experience,
trekking
and national parks that can complement the Solidarity Holidays.
Fitur woman, a new section
“More than 54% of workers in the tourism industry are women, it is one of the most feminized sectors, but there are very few managers making decisions;
we have to make them visible ”.
Maribel Rodríguez Gamero, president of Women Leading Tourism (WLT), wants the first edition of Fitur Woman, a new section at the International Tourism Fair, to become a meeting point “for awareness, debate and dialogue that contribute to promoting the role of women in this sector, in terms of leadership and sustainability ”.
Rural community tourism in Peru and Bolivia
Codespa Foundation Routes Program
It is mainly the indigenous women of the association La Tierra de los Yachaqs, in the Cuzco region (Peru), where the Sacred Valley of the Incas is located, and from the islands of the Bolivian part of Lake Titicaca who have taken the reins of individual rural community tourism initiatives, supported by the Codespa Foundation's Routes program. Some initiatives managed entirely by the communities themselves: from receiving tourists to marketing with tour operators. Travelers can have more information on La Tierra de los Yachaqs for Peru and on the Facebook profile of the Apthapi Network for Bolivia. “Women act as tourist guides to see birds in Lake Titicaca, prepare traditional street food carts, open lodging, handicraft or medicinal herbs businesses,they cook or show local traditions ”, lists Elena Martínez, deputy director of the Codespa Foundation. "Women who previously did not have a social role are now present in decision-making in their communities, and take on a greater weight in the family economy," he emphasizes.
The finalists
Train, give work, empower
The nine finalist projects recognized in the FiturNext 2021 challenge support female leadership within the tourism sector.
A very varied list of projects.
Open Eyes Project organizes sustainable and nature trips in India by hiring women in social exclusion.
Active Woman travelers are accompanied by local women from different parts of Africa, Asia and America, who guide them in
trekking
activities
,
bicycle or kayak.
RaizUp promotes a global community to find employment.
Women in eTravel brings together workers in the digital industry.
Equality in Tourism empowers women in vulnerable situations in Tanzania to become suppliers for hotels in the region.
The Santander BEST Africa Foundation provides financial support and training to women to develop their projects in the Gambia, Senegal and Morocco.
Fundación enVía helps indigenous women in Oaxaca (Mexico) to boost their businesses.
The Barceló Foundation offers tourism training scholarships to Dominican women.
And Aseet provides a space to share good practices among women leaders.
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