While women drive 80 per cent of global travel bookings, a significant disparity remains at the executive level within the hospitality and tourism sectors. This key bottleneck was a central focus at the second edition of the Hospitality Her Way initiative, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches under the theme, Shaping What Comes Next: Women Driving Hospitality Forward.
Led by Georgette Davey, Managing Director of the Academy, the high-level panel brought together leading regional voices to analyse workforce metrics, institutional support systems, and the shifting landscape of the Middle East’s rapidly expanding experience economy.
The panel highlighted a clear divide between public sector achievements and private sector leadership tracks in the region. Driven by national frameworks designed to strengthen gender balance, female workforce participation in the UAE continues to climb. However, the executive pipeline reveals room for strategic development.
While public entities have successfully integrated women into nearly a third of all senior decision-making roles, the private sector lags behind at 16.6 per cent. Panellists emphasised that addressing this deficit requires structured, institutional pathways rather than relying on organic progression.
Emma Campbell, Sector Marketing Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) – Abu Dhabi, challenged the industry to rethink how it supports rising talent, pointing directly to the commercial influence women wield as consumers.
"Around 80 per cent of travel bookings are made by women, yet that representation is not always reflected at senior decision-making level," Campbell noted.
To bridge this gap, she urged professionals to seek out structured mentorship and active sponsorship. "Having a formal mentor is really important. It needs to go beyond a once-a-month coffee catch-up and be more structured, with clear focus areas, regular check-ins, and a way of tracking and documenting what you are learning so it supports your development over time. Readiness is overrated, and progress comes from stepping forward and seizing opportunities as they arise."
Campbell also noted that post-pandemic travellers increasingly prioritise cultural authenticity, an area where women frequently excel by leveraging intuition and audience insight to craft deeper destination narratives.
Katrin Herz, Multi-property General Manager at The Abu Dhabi Edition, Marriott Hotel & MEA Downtown Abu Dhabi, highlighted the practical, operational changes required within international hotel groups. Herz noted that the historic, cut-throat competition among female hoteliers has evolved into a highly collaborative network.
"It is encouraging to see a real shift in how women support one another in hospitality," Herz stated. "There is a growing sense of responsibility that if you have reached a leadership position, you should help ensure other women can get there, too."
To turn operational staff into corporate executives, Herz highlighted Marriott’s focus on implementing structured development programs and internal hiring quotas. "Too often, women at the operational level do not see themselves progressing into senior roles, which is where confidence-building becomes so important.
"I believe that all women in line staff can become senior directors, general managers, and vice presidents."
Georgette Davey emphasised that academic institutions hold the primary responsibility for building the foundation of this leadership pipeline. At Les Roches Abu Dhabi, the curriculum pairs classroom learning with two mandatory six-month industry internships, ensuring graduates enter the market with a full year of real-world operational experience.
Davey also explained that the very definition of a hospitality career in the UAE is undergoing a massive transformation. Driven by mega-projects on Yas Island and Abu Dhabi’s rapid cultural expansion, the market has shifted into a broader experience economy. This encompasses events, museums, entertainment, and specialized customer experience roles, opening up non-linear, highly diverse career paths that appeal strongly to incoming female talent.
The academy’s internal metrics reflect its broader corporate objectives. Women represent 63 per cent of the staff and hold 55 per cent of the leadership positions at the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches.
Crucially, the institution is successfully incubating local Emirati talent. UAE nationals comprise 21 per cent of the academy's Bachelor of Science in Global Hospitality Management students and a commanding 59 per cent of its Master of Science in International Hospitality Management candidates.
By blending Swiss academic frameworks with traditional Emirati identity, the academy is actively cultivating the next generation of regional decision-makers.