(Posted 25th August 2026)
In honour of Women’s Month, WTM Africa is announcing early
updates to its Women in Tourism (WiT) programme, running alongside WTM Africa 2027, from
07th to 09th of April 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
The initiative will centre on strategic skills development, supporting women across the tourism
sector to build the confidence, knowledge and networks to grow their careers and contribute to
the industry’s future.
While the global share of tourism and hospitality board seats held by women doubled from 16%
in 2013 to 33% in 2025, representation still thins out at the top. A recent World Travel & Tourism
Council study shows that they hold just 42% of mid-management positions and only 7% of CEO
or chair roles.
‘As demand accelerates globally for inclusive leadership in travel and hospitality, we're working
to ensure that the effective upliftment of women in tourism remains a priority‘ said Megan De
Jager, Portfolio Director for Travel, Tourism and Sports at RX Africa.
Voted Mentor of the Year at the 2026 Women in MICE Awards, De Jager believes genuine
progress in gender empowerment calls for more than creating leadership opportunities for
women. It requires intentional focus on professional development and support to help them
succeed when they get there.
“Women have an enormous role to play in deciding our industr’;s future, but leadership is not
only about the positions we hold. It is also about having the confidence to use our voices, share
our ideas, and recognise the value we bring‘ she added.
Amongst the planned highlights for WiT 2027 is ‘Empowering Female Leadership in Tourism‘
an interactive workshop exploring high-impact topics including strategic decision-making,
adaptive leadership, personal and corporate branding, mentorship and networking.
This dedicated session will follow the Women in MICE Breakfast, welcoming women working
across the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector and providing a platform to
launch new categories for the Women in MICE Awards 2027. Further details will be announced
closer to the show.
This Women’;s Month, the message is clear: women already represent one of tourism's greatest
resources. WTM Africa 2027 aims to create more opportunities for them to develop their skills
and step forward with the confidence to contribute at every level of the industry.
