Data published by Women in Hospitality, Travel & Leisure (WiHTL) shows that the gender pay gap – already the highest among the travel, hospital and leisure industries – has increased by 2%, rising to 22.4% over the past year. 

This is set against the hospitality sector reporting a 5.2% gap, which is relatively lower compared to the wider market, as well as a 1.6% decrease when it comes to the gender pay gap in the leisure sector. 

Figures showed the gap was exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis as one-off payments and bonuses given to staff to contrast inflationary pressures were mostly given to senior roles, the majority of which are held by men. 

“It is probably fair to say that the combination of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis also had a disruptive impact,” said Tea Colaianni, founder and chair of trade body Diversity in Retail. "To address this issue there needs to be a drive to introduce policies and practices that remove barriers to women returning to work after having children, along with a visible commitment to developing the pool of talented women for leadership roles.”

The research echoes a recent TTG analysis of 40 of the UK’s largest trade travel firms, including airlines, travel agencies and tour operators. 

According to the data, the gender pay gap currently ranges from a 6.5% discrepancy at Birmingham airport to a 67% gap at British Airways. 

To ensure that men and women have equal opportunities, the WiHTL has urged companies in the travel, hospitality and leisure sectors to increase the number of women in leadership positions, with mentoring schemes and specific development programmes.

"Companies then need to demonstrate that they understand, and will address, the key drivers of their pay gaps through creating a credible action plan which moves the dial from reportable numbers to improving fairness through their diversity pay gap reporting and wider reporting narratives," added Katy Bennett, DEI director at PwC.