GTMC and AWTE champion workplace diversity
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TDM, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
At the recent GTMC Domestic Conference today in London, the business travel authority announced details of its new partnership with the Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE). 
Since being founded as a female business support network over 60 years ago, the AWTE has aimed to boost the status of women in the travel industry.
It continues to highlight the importance of more flexible working conditions, fairer pay and more women in boards across the tourism and transport sectors.
AWTE believes that men can play a key role in addressing the issues that affect working women and that equality will only be achieved via collaboration.
By joining forces with GTMC it believes it will be even better placed to influence the UK’s business travel community and forge closer relationships with the airlines, accommodation companies and technology providers who are already travel industry partners.
Adrian Parkes, CEO of the GTMC, said:
“Although the travel industry has a higher ratio of women in senior positions than many of its counterparts, there is still a long way to go before women achieve true economic equality with men.
“GTMC believes that workplace diversity is an essential component of innovation and growth. We are therefore looking forward to working alongside the AWTE to encourage members to make the vital changes that make great business as well as ethical sense.”
Earlier this year the UK introduced a new legal requirement for UK companies with over 250 employees to publish this gender pay gaps. The regulation, which will come into effect from 6 April 2018, aims to address the current UK gender pay gap, which stands at 18.1% for all workers and 9.4% for full-time staff.
Sarah Clayton Turner, Chair, AWTE, commented:
“With the new law change, the issue around gender pay gap has been thrust into the spotlight and companies will now be required to actively create a more equal and modern workplace. Equality is an issue that affects us all, whether we’re male or female, an employee or employer, colleague or parent so we’re delighted to have the support of the GTMC. We look forward to engaging its members and working together to help women in business travel realise their full potential and make the glass ceiling a thing of the past.”
Representing a range of travel management companies – from global companies to small independent specialists and top regional agencies – GTMC, originally founded in 1967, is the voice of business travel and acts to lobby those who have an impact on the business travel community, together with promoting the activities of its members as the best in quality and value to the business traveller.
