SHe Travel Club carries out checks on hotels for female guests across four categories: safety, comfort, services and dining.
AFTM and SHe Travel Club will work together to encourage hotel reservation platforms and travel management companies to “better take into account” the concerns of female business travellers when accommodation is being booked.
Research from SHe Travel Club has found that 70 per cent of female corporate travellers believed their employer should “take their safety more into account” when booking hotels.
Valerie Hoffenberg, founder and president of SHe Travel Club, said: “Opening our eyes and raising awareness of the needs of women when they travel are essential elements to change the world of tourism.”
More than 300 hotels across 40 countries have been certified or are in the process of being certified by SHe Travel Club, which hopes to reach 5,000 certified properties in the next five years.
SHe Travel Club is also hoping to launch online training modules for hotels seeking to offer “optimal service” to female guests.
This will include guidance on how to identify and fight against biases and sexist remarks within a hotel, preparing employees to listen and counsel female victims of violent or gender-based incidents while travelling, and how to improve behaviour and take actions within the hotel to better ensure the safety of female clients.
AFTM president Michel Dieleman added: “We are convinced that this partnership will contribute to greater equality between women and men within the business travel industry.”
By Rob Gill
