My name is Mary Grant and I work as a Senior Account Executive for WeTravel.
Travel has always excited me. Growing up, I really didn't do a ton of international traveling, but I always knew it was going to be a part of my life. Once I went on my first solo international trip, it opened up an entirely new world and I knew I wanted to immerse myself in the industry.
I’ve been working with WeTravel for two years, but before WeTravel I worked primarily in the natural resources industry. I, of course, love to travel, but I also love painting, baking, skiing, and anything outdoors when it's warm.
My main role in my position is to speak with tour operators to see if our software can make their lives easier. I get to speak with amazing women+, many of whom run travel companies, about their goals and where they want to take their business.
Women+ in travel continually inspire me by their hard-work and dedication to pursue their dreams, even when they have other day jobs or young kids at home. Even at WeTravel, and specifically on the sales team, our top-four sales reps are all women+ which is so bad-ass in a primarily male-dominated department.
Working in sales, I think it’s common for men in authoritative positions to dismiss strong female professionals, however, I haven’t found that to be the case in the travel industry. I think this has to do with the fact that the travel industry has such a strong female presence in it, and without us, the travel industry would crumble!
I mean, seriously, women+ make up the majority of all travelers, so it only makes sense for us to make up the working majority of the industry as well.
I think one of the most impactful ways that the industry has empowered women+ is through women-only travel. I work with so many clients that work incredibly hard to put together life-changing trips for women+ so that complete strangers can connect and bond through a powerful experience like travel. Women+ have an innate desire to connect with other women, and holding a space for this through travel is so cool.
I think supporting women+ owned businesses is one of the easiest things people can do to empower women in the travel industry. People can do this by being mindful of seemingly little things when they travel, like working with a female tour guide/activity leader, choosing a women+ owned accommodation, or volunteering with an organization geared towards helping local women+. With intention, we can continue to support the success of all women who work in the industry – and the travelers they interact with.