IWD IV: Addressing the Gap in Decision-Making Roles for Women in Our Industry – Carissa Nimah, CMO at Department of Tourism, Bhutan

For decades, women have achieved remarkable milestones, shaping not only the landscape of travel and tourism but also leaving indelible marks across economic, political, and social spheres simultaneously. Their contributions resonate as pillars of progress and empowerment. On International Women’s Day, T3 takes the opportunity to draw a spotlight on our women readers from cross-section of the industry. Carissa Nimah, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Tourism Promotion Division, Department of Tourism – Bhutan shares her views with T3.

Presence of a healthy ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in the tourism domain:

It’s important for all organisations to monitor how many women they have in their teams – across all levels including senior management. While travel and tourism is an industry with significant female representation, too often we find that women are actually not represented in the C-suite, or boards of directors, or in the decision-making roles in our industry – so their contribution potential is limited. Organisation diversity in every form is shown by many global studies to lead to better financial results and improvements in virually all key performance indicators.

Lack of senior management opportunities. Women in positions of authority also need to act as mentors and support other women who show promise and potential to help them reach the top too.

Message for budding women entrepreneurs

Work hard and build your reputation. Don’t be shy to share your thoughts and ideas, and ask for a seat at the (decision making) table in your organisation. Remember that EQ is just as important as IQ. Find some mentors and learn from them. Build a good network of friends and mentors to help you along your professional journey.