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Women-Power in the Hospitality Industry

Incidentally, World Tourism Day this year falls just a couple of days after International Daughters’ day. The whole world of tourism is gearing up to finally regain its pace after the Pandemic that crippled the industry, not only in terms of revenue and growth but also in terms of adopting the new norms and requirements as well as changing travel behaviour and algorithm worldwide. The hospitality industry has changed significantly over the past 60 years, particularly regarding women and gender equality. Along with the growth and globalization of the sector, opportunities for women to fill an active and rewarding role within the hospitality workplace have greatly increased around the world. While women are still fighting for equality at work in different areas, they have earned their place in hotels, catering, and tourism for quite some time now. In the overall economy, 46.1% of employees are women, but in the hospitality sector, this figure has grown to 53.7%. Whether it is sports, corporates or the service industry, the members of the fair sex have always needed to cross a path that is full of challenges and hurdles much different and sometimes harder than their male counterparts. We are proud to start a series highlighting a few personalities who, in spite of all the obstacles, have made it to the top through dedication, integrity, skill, and passion. Nothing could a better occasion to start this series on the day of World Tourism 2022 which also focuses on the theme of “ rethinking tourism”.



Bindu Surendran

Senior Principal, Services & Delivery, Sabre India

Accomplished Aviation Professional with over 27 years of experience

If you could tell us about your journey in short and how did you choose to be a part of the travel industry?

Coming from a defence background and staying in an Airforce base, seeing Aircraft take off and land throughout the day always excited me. I was very sure, if not Airforce, I will pursue my career in the travel industry.  To be able to fly in different aircraft, visit new places, indulge in the unique cultures of every place, meet new people, and build connections have always been attractive to me. My first job was indeed in airline airport operations and the journey continued for 25 years working in different roles with immense learnings. I joined Sabre in 2019 after walking a mile in the customers’ shoes, and it does help me understand the customer business needs and expectations better!

Being in the dynamic world of travel and reaching the top position of honour and responsibility – how difficult or challenging has it been for you? Being a woman has ever added to the difficulties?

I would be in defiance if I said that I haven’t faced challenges. Being a daughter to wonderful parents and a mother to two boys, I had to sail through many bumps and strive hard to establish a work-life balance. Like many working mothers I had to sacrifice family time (specially being around my kids) to prove myself at work and succeed. When I started my career, there were limited opportunities for women as we were perceived as being less productive and competent than men. Due to fewer women in the leadership position, it used to be very difficult to express or share the challenges faced by women employees but that didn’t stop me from moving forward – No, I started focusing on learning & development, self-awareness, dedication, teamwork & communication.

“As I always say, everything comes with a price. What you pay is your choice. If you want to pursue what you love, then there must be passion. Passion to prove yourself in a world where you are valued for what you deliver. “

How do you foresee the future of the travel sector in India?

India has a promising travel and tourism market. I believe, people will continue to travel extensively throughout the world and explore travel opportunities that come their way – both domestic and International.

The change I foresee is that travel will become more convenient and comfortable with new technologies. Innovation will change the travel experience. Modern travellers really want personalized experiences that they can control. With the fast evolution of technology, more and more channels are opening for making travel happen and the latest technologies like Artificial intelligence, Robotics, Contactless Payments, Virtual Reality, chatbots etc are helping the consumer much better than before.

Travelling by Airline with a focus on lower prices will not be the first choice of travellers, instead, it will be about safety and more – like the Airlines focusing more on covid protocols & maintaining hygiene. Destinations that have managed to control the spread of the virus will undoubtedly become more popular. Social distancing will be the main criteria when deciding on a destinationWith more low-cost airlines launched in India, we can see an increase in domestic travel to just avoid international restrictions. Read more


This industry story published in Traveller’s World features our team member, Bindu Surendran