Growing Inverness firm Murray Travel marks Inverness Women's Day with commitment to work towards a fairer travel sector
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Highland travel agency boss Sarah Murray is using today – International Women’s Day – to call for greater gender equality in the sector.
According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), women make up more than half of the global tourism workforce (54 per cent). However, women in the sector are often concentrated in low-skilled or informal work, and have fewer opportunities for career development.
Mrs Murray, who is a director of Inverness-based Murray Travel alongside her husband Scott, pointed out that while the travel industry, especially in the UK, is a female-dominated environment, management positions are more likely to be filled by men.
The disparity was exacerbated by the pandemic, when women disproportionately lost their jobs as businesses were affected.
Murray Travel, which has only two men in its 14-strong team, is making a commitment to ensure gender fairness. During the pandemic, the firm acquired two local travel agencies to retain tourism talent in the Highlands and Moray, and secure jobs for local women who have built their careers in the tourism industry.
Mrs Murray said: “Women face many unique issues in the workplace, including issues with childcare. This can include struggling to find jobs with the flexibility to work around childcare and school holidays.
“The standard pay in the travel industry can also be quite low and this, coupled with the average gender pay gap, means that the cost of childcare can often outweigh going back to work after maternity leave. This leads to talented people leaving the industry and customers losing out due to the loss of experienced travel agents.
“At Murray Travel, we have structured our workplace to ensure that everyone is treated equally, and that the support and training each individual requires is available when they need it.
“We are passionate about improving equality within the travel industry and are committed to closing gender pay gaps and inequalities to ensure that everyone with a passion for travel can find a place to excel.”
