Women in tourism: utilising potential - overcome barriers

At the invitation of the Import Promotion Desk, Aayusha Prasain from the Community Homestay Network Nepal, Catherine Gallagher from Women Travel Leader and Dr Julia Bellinghausen from the IPD discussed opportunities and improving opportunities for women in the tourism industry at ITB Berlin on 5 March 2025.

Despite the high number of women in the tourism industry, their opportunities for participation and development remain limited. The specific challenges vary depending on the region, but one thing became clear during the discussion: commitment pays off! Networks and targeted support strengthen female experts and entrepreneurs and enable innovative projects.

Aayusha Prasain from Nepal provided an impressive example. She showed how community-based tourism projects economically empower women in remote regions, improve social structures and promote sustainability initiatives. Aayusha emphasised: "Financial autonomy is the key to equality. It enables women to make self-determined decisions, pursue new career paths and improve their access to education. This change has an impact far beyond the individual - it strengthens entire communities and paves the way for better opportunities for the next generation." This is why Aayusha Prasain is committed to providing employment opportunities and training programmes for women in the communities. The IPD has been supporting Community Homestay Network for three years now and arranges contact with European tour operators.  

The panel discussion is one of many networking events organised by the IPD as part of its "Women in Global Trade" programme. The objective of the IPD is to build a network that promotes cooperation between women in international trade. Further activities are planned, such as training sessions and specialist meetings, to support the transfer of knowledge and create a strong economic participation of women.

Find out more about the IPD's measures to promote the economic participation of women on the IPD website here.

Caption:
Moderator Nora Eichkorn, IPD, Catherine Gallagher, Women Travel Leader, Aayusha Prasain, Community Homestay Network Nepal, Dr. Julia Bellinghausen, IPD