The Women Changing the Travel Industry
Written by Daryll Williams
For too long, many career fields have been dominated by men. Travel is no exception. From operators designing itineraries, to guides leading tours, distinguished roles have been more difficult for women to reach.
All that is changing though, resulting in a far more impactful travel experience for everyone. Read on to meet the women changing the travel industry. Whether working with communities on the ground or facilitating greater technological advancement from afar, their fields are varied, but their impact is equally impressive.
Behati Prinsloo has seen a catwalk or two, and not just the Namibian variety. As a supermodel representing some of the world’s most recognisable brands, Behati uses her reach to highlight the importance for future generations to experience Africa and its animals, as she did growing up an hour from Etosha National Park. With her 6m+ Instagram followers, her word reaches far and wide. Behati is an ambassador for Save The Rhino Namibia and frequently posts about them, helping to raise funds and campaign for the endangered species.
Twitter: @BeePrinsloo
Instagram: @behatiprinsloo
To date, more than 25 films credit her involvement – works that include Eye of the Leopard and Eternal Enemies – have helped call attention to the survival struggles of Africa’s most iconic species. And while her later years have been largely dedicated to photographing wildlife, her most impactful work to date involves the conservation efforts she helped launch and continues to champion across South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.
Website: https://beverlyjoubert.com/
Instagram: @beverlyjoubert
According to Ho, each property is dedicated to the “highest levels of social and environmental impact.”
As the world emerges from lockdown, both consumers and travel industry pros are asking the same question: how can travel be better and more meaningful and more sustainable? Or, to go a step further, how can travel improve the environment and communities people visit? The concept, called regenerative travel, highlights practices meant to reverse climate change, not merely slow it down.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahonyc
Instagram: @amandahonyc
Melba Tjahere is the owner of Otjikaendu Den Restaurant in Windhoek. She has worked in several restaurants throughout Windhoek, including M&Z restaurant, before branching out on her own. Melba started selling food from her home in the evenings and over the weekends. However, that all changed in 1991, when she began her business with just 3 women – herself and her 2 daughters. With hard work and dedication – all done on a small budget – Melba was able to help her daughters complete University. By 2013, her business, the Otjikaendu Den, had grown to include a workforce of 17 staff. Throughout the process, she has received several honours; being named Business Woman of the Year in 2002 and Traditional Chef of the Year in 2007.
Today, Melba continues to cater to corporate clients and tourists who want a regionally authentic dining experience.
Noted for her outstanding work, in 2003 Lena won the Hospitality Association Namibia (HAN) Personality Award which is awarded to a person within the tourism sector who has rendered exceptional service towards the promotion of the hospitality sector and tourism image in general.
Today, Lena provides the critical link between Wilderness Safaris and the local communities who are the joint venture partners at Damaraland Adventurer, Doro Nawas and Desert Rhino Camps. She initiates local projects, hosts journalists and agents and attends the community meetings. She takes great pride in informing the communities about the camp operations and how they can participate meaningfully as stakeholders.
Women of Wilderness: https://wilderness-safaris.com/blog/posts/women-of-wilderness-pascolena-florry
As an activist with a love of nature, Nandi-Ndaitwah is no stranger to issues that affect women and the environment, and has always been keen to take on a challenge. Her in-depth understanding of the tourism industry and the shaping of Namibia’s environmental policy to transform the lives of women, has made her an icon.
At an event honouring women in Namibian travel, she once stressed that tourism is not only a mega contributor to GDP, but also has the power to transform society. She specifically mentioned the crucial change in attitudes in terms of gender equality, adding, “we need to share our dreams in order to make it a long-lasting experience. We need to inspire and empower others, because inspiration is a two-way street.”
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netumbo_Nandi-Ndaitwah
Her work for the organisation sits at the intersection of bringing together both the private and public sector in implementing the national policy on tourism in the country.
In a speech on women in Namibian travel, she once explained, “The Namibian tourism sector has become a source of empowerment for many Namibian women from both the rural and urban areas. Today we are seeing a cadre of committed women in various positions across the different sub-sectors of the Namibian tourism sector. Many of these women have risen to become pillars of hope and agents of change for the families, their communities, and the nation.”
She ended, saying, “our voices deserve to be heard, loud and clear! Let us women make the tourism industry move forward; our mark must be even bigger than it is today!”
LinkedIn: https://na.linkedin.com/in/maggy-mbako-17983941
Twitter: @MaggyMbako
Margaret Jacobsohn is a renowned Namibian writer, anthropologist, and community-based conservation specialist. She founded the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation NGO with Garth Owen-Smith in 1989 just before Namibia’s independence. She has been fighting against endemic illegal hunting, which has decimated species such as black rhino and desert elephant, and champions economic and social development of local populations. In 1993 she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, an honour that recognises grassroots environmental advocates.
Her journey has taken her from Zimbabwe’s Lowveld to Oxford University and back, always emphasising the need for diverse approaches to conservation throughout. In 2018, her work on lions was featured in a National Geographic short film “One Woman’s Remarkable Journey to Protect Lions”. In 2019, she was awarded a TED Fellowship, presenting a TED talk on “How community-led conservation can save wildlife”. Moreangels is also a Mandela Washington Fellow, and is passionate about inspiring and mentoring Africa’s next generation of conservation leaders.
Twitter: @MoreangelsM
TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/moreangels_mbizah_how_community_led_conservation_can_save_wildlife
More gender equality
Female empowerment, intersectional equity and gender equality form a foundational pillar of Viatu’s operational philosophy. If you’re looking for a holiday specially-curated to support this change, stay up to date with our latest developments.