Travel and tourism is seen as an inclusive industry with a diverse range of people working in it, so it stands to reason that we would be ahead of other sectors when it comes to equality. The concerning thing is that a gender pay gap still exists in our industry at all.
There are many positives to be taken from the figures, not least the fact the gap has decreased from 14.2% before the pandemic. Things are clearly changing, and the industry is beginning to make headway. We are all more aware of gender inequality, and bigger companies are now required to declare their pay disparity. Measures like these are certainly helping, but they will only go so far.
What’s really heartening is that we’re also seeing female candidates in our industry becoming more confident negotiating better salaries for themselves when looking for a new role, with many feeling increasingly comfortable having conversations with their bosses about wage increases.
For many years, men have been far more vocal regarding their pay, while women traditionally remained quieter, but thankfully this is now changing with more women emphasising their worth and importance to their company.
Changes brought about by the pandemic – such as home-based and hybrid working – are also having positive effects, with women and those with children now increasingly likely to put themselves forward for higher-paid jobs due to the improved flexibility on offer at many companies.
One of the main reasons for travel’s overall gender pay gap is the large number of women being placed in entry-level roles in the industry. This has always been the case, but the percentage of females joining the industry in lower-paid positions has increased in recent years from 68.7% in 2019 to 73.3% last year.
However, in time, some of these women should progress through the industry into more senior roles and will then have the ability to implement their own diversity and inclusion policies at their future companies, helping eliminate any salary disparities between genders.
Every year since C&M’s figures began in 2014, male travel executives have significantly out-earned their female equivalents... until last year. But while this is a clear example of the progress being made, we can’t be pleased with a one-off anomaly – we need to see this happen more consistently.
Ultimately, this isn’t about paying women more or reducing men’s salaries so they fall in line with their female colleagues, it is about equality for all. Companies should carry out salary audits to ensure they are paying their employees fairly for their position, regardless of their gender.
Travel is a wonderfully inclusive place to work – if we don’t lead the way with true pay parity across our whole industry, who will?
Barbara Kolosinska is managing director of C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment.
