Why Travel Leadership Looks Different Heading Into 2026
Skift Take
Women shape most travel decisions and make up the majority of the hospitality workforce, yet remain underrepresented in leadership. As the industry restructures and traveler expectations evolve, that gap is becoming a strategic risk for travel companies.
Across the travel industry, leadership demands are expanding. Growth strategy, workforce planning, technology adoption and rapidly evolving traveler expectations increasingly sit on the same executive agenda.
Yet the people shaping travel’s workforce and demand are not fully reflected in leadership.
Women make up roughly 60% of the hospitality workforce, yet hold only about 30% of leadership roles and roughly a quarter of C-suite positions globally, according to research cited in our Experience Advantage Report.
Their influence extends far beyond the workforce. Women shape around 80% of global travel decisions, from destination planning to lodging choices and family travel.
In other words, the people driving the industry’s demand and workforce are not always represented in the rooms where strategy is set.
These dynamics are shaping conversations taking place at the Women Leading Travel Forum, which gathers women executives June 8–10 at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
Why Representation Matters for Growth
That gap carries strategic implications as traveler demographics evolve.
The Experience Advantage Report also notes women aged 50–75 generate at least half of travel company revenues, making them one of the most economically influential segments in the global travel market. This demographic controls significant discretionary spending and increasingly prioritizes experiential travel, wellness, and multigenerational trips.
Leaders who understand this traveler segment will shape how travel companies design experiences, build loyalty, and drive growth in the years ahead.
Where Women Leaders are Shaping the Conversation
As leadership pressures intensify, access to trusted peer networks is becoming more important.
Senior executives increasingly rely on industry communities to compare strategies, exchange operational insight and pressure-test decisions affecting growth, workforce strategy and technology investment. Yet many women leaders still operate without the same access to senior leadership networks that have historically shaped industry strategy.
These dynamics are shaping conversations taking place at the Women Leading Travel Forum, which gathers senior women executives from across travel, hospitality, aviation and technology June 8–10 at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
The program explores leadership pipelines, technology transformation, traveler shifts and the operational realities executives face across the industry.