Women in Travel CIC – the UK-based social enterprise dedicated to advancing gender equity and fostering inclusivity in the travel industry – has released a programme for the inaugural International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum Gulf (IWTTF Gulf), which is taking place on November 19 in Dubai.

The Dubai event is the first international offshoot of the enormously successful IWTTF event in London, which is now in its fifth year and has become the essential platform for thought leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss and drive progress in DEI in all its forms within the travel industry.

IWTTF Gulf will be hosted by Google at its office at the Innovation Hub at Dubai Internet City, and is further supported by IWTTF founding partner Intrepid Travel, alongside DiamondAir International and Jumeirah.

The theme of the half-day event is building a gender-inclusive, economically empowering travel and tourism industry and within that is a keynote speech from content creator and motivational speaker Zainab Al-Eqab, who became amputee at the age of seven as a result of an accident, followed by a case study, two panel sessions, peer-mentoring and networking.

Subjects covered include how travel and tourism can be a transformational force for gender empowerment in the Gulf region, and how travel and tourism can retain and develop local female talent to secure its long-term vitality and prosperity.

All the sessions aim to educate, inspire and provide actionable insights for driving change within the industry and the wider community.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Anthony Nakache, Managing Director MENA at Google, and Women in Travel’s Founder and MD Alessandra Alonso, while the conference will be closed by Christina Lawford, Founder and CEO of DiamondAir International.

Speakers include:

• Amal AlBarout, Senior Sales Director, Miral
• Elham Bolooki, Senior Manager, Dubai College of Tourism
• Marie de Ducla, MENA Sector Lead for Travel, Retail and Consumer Goods, Google
• Jenny Gray, Senior Product Manager, Intrepid Travel
• Mohamed Jassim Al Rais, Executive Director & Partner, Al Rais Travel & Shipping Agencies LLC
• Sarah Kopit, Editor in Chief, Skift
• Shurouq Lashkri, Content Producer and Creator
• Abeer Abu Shmeis, Managing Director, Originative Capital
• Jaime Emiley Simpson, General Manager, Jumeirah Mina Al Salam

Alonso said: “The programme for IWTTF is shaping up to be a fantastic afternoon of thought-provoking and agenda-setting discussions and I’m grateful to our advisory panel, our speakers and our sponsors for their collaboration, advice and contribution.

“I am confident that delegates will come away having heard and participated in truly transformational conversations that will edge us closer to meaningful change and better gender inclusion in our beloved travel industry, both in the Gulf and beyond.”

Jaime Emiley Simpson, General Manager, Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, said: “Our participation in IWTTF highlights Jumeirah’s commitment to diversity and women’s empowerment within the hospitality industry.

“We are focused on building a colleague-driven culture that fosters empowering leadership and delivers customer-focused excellence in line with our values of innovation and inclusivity.

“Through our collaboration with Women in Travel, we are developing new approaches to sourcing, nurturing, and inspiring talent, ensuring everyone can reach their full potential.”

Christina Lawford, Founder and CEO at DiamondAir International, said: “We are delighted to continue our deep partnership with Women in Travel in helping to bring IWTTF to the Gulf region.

“As a woman entrepreneur in travel, I am proud to support what promises to be an inspiring afternoon, hearing and learning from travel leaders and experts from the region on the challenges and opportunities faced by women in our industry.” – TradeArabia News Service