The partnership follows research by Maiden Voyage, which found 79% of respondents felt underprepared to deal with a travel related incident. Research has also shown the majority of holiday buying decisions are made by women, which Advantage says also makes Maiden Voyages important for its leisure travel membership.
Benefits include access to a pool of duty of care experts, an online corporate traveller networking platform, and exclusive access to executive briefings. Advantage members can also access online and in-person training sessions on traveller safety and wellbeing at specially negotiated rates.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive, said: “Ensuring the safety of female and LGBTQ+ visitors is vitally important, particularly with the rapid growth of the female business travel market. Maiden Voyage is a world leading specialist in this sector and together we can give our members access to their knowledge and resources, which is a really exciting and valuable development for Advantage and our members.”
Carolyn Pearson, Maiden Voyage founder and chief executive added: “More and more TMCs are being asked to provide support and advice for diverse traveller groups.
“By partnering with Advantage Travel Partnership, we can support the TMC community and ultimately reach more travellers, helping them to navigate the often complex landscape of foreign travel and keep them safe in the process.”
Longer term, Advantage and Maiden Voyage plans to offer accredited female friendly TMC status for members looking to differentiate in this area.
