Hi! I'm Katie Zellhoefer, Sales Manager for WeTravel, avid traveler and outdoor sports enthusiast – as well as a mom to three energetic kiddos.
Women's History Month is important to me because it's an opportunity to share the stories of brave, confident women who have changed the course of history with my own children. As a mother of two daughters and one son, I strive to create an atmosphere of gender-equity in my own home and community.
In my mid-twenties, I took a solo gap-year to travel alone through Latin America, India and Nepal for eight months. This trip opened my eyes to the fact that there are incredible places, cultures and, most importantly, fascinating people across our planet.
I knew then that I wanted to be a catalyst for helping people travel, experiencing new cultures and gaining a wider understanding of the world. I worked for the adventure travel company, Bamba Travel, for 15 years before joining WeTravel in 2021.
I find the travel industry to be an equitable, welcoming and supportive space for women+. I believe that travel has the power to open people's minds and show us that we are all the same, no matter what nationality, race, religion or gender we are or what level of education or socioeconomic level we have.
My experience working in the travel industry as a women+ overall has been supportive and equitable. Whether attending travel conferences or interacting with my own colleagues, I always feel supported and know that everyone regardless of their gender has the same opportunities to excel and grow. I admire the many women in leadership roles, women entrepreneurs and women CEOs, whose paths I've crossed.
Women+ cooperatives exist in many places I've had the privilege to travel to and I always try to get "off the beaten path" and visit local communities where many of these co-ops are located. I enjoy supporting women entrepreneurs as travel organizers as well as women+ local business owners. Purchasing handmade local souvenirs from women's coops is another way I enjoy giving back to local women.
I encourage others to support women+ owned businesses, join women+ travel clubs or groups and support women+ cooperatives while traveling. Befriend local and foreign women alike and show your support of solo-women travelers.
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