Hotels Still Lag on Gender Equality in the Boardroom, Finds New Report

There’s good news and bad news for women in hotel leadership. The good? Boards that were once boys’ clubs are finally letting women in. The bad? The pace of change is crawling, and parity is still a long way off. That’s the topline from the new Sun, Sand & Ceilings 2025 report from Equality in Tourism International.

Across the industry, women now hold 33% of board seats, double the 16% figure from 2013 and up from 23% in 2018. Encouraging? Yes. Enough? Not even close to the 50% target Equality in Tourism set back in 2018.

The findings are based on an analysis of 68 tourism and hospitality organizations worldwide, including 16 major hotel groups, with data gathered from company websites, public filings, and Companies House records. It’s the most comprehensive snapshot yet of who’s really holding power at the top.

Hotels: Incremental Change, But Far From Equal

For hotels and hotel groups, women now hold more board seats than in past surveys — a 7% jump since 2018. That’s progress, but men still dominate the boardroom.

“As we look across the hotel sector, the good news is clear — boards that were once all-male, like Kempinski, Four Seasons, and Taj, now finally have women at the table. Add in Meliá with a 50/50 split and Accor where women outnumber men, and you see sparks of change. But let’s be honest: the pace is still far too slow,” says Tricia Barnett, Co-Director of Equality in Tourism.

The standout? Accor, where women outnumber men on the board (8 to 5) and hold 41% of department head roles.

“This (data) reflects our commitment to setting bold targets and consistently advancing toward them – because we believe that diverse leadership drives stronger performance, deeper innovation, and a more inclusive culture in line with the social responsibility a leading hospitality group must uphold,” says Anne-Sophie Beraud, SVP Social Care & Impact, Accor.

Meliá Hotels International also deserves credit for hitting a 50/50 board split.

credit: Equity In Tourism 2025 report on women on boards of hotel companies

Why the Hotel Industry Should Care

Women make up 54% of the global tourism and hospitality workforce and the majority of graduates entering the pipeline, yet they remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Add in the fact that women influence 82% of travel buying decisions (per Skift), and the disconnect becomes glaring.

“Hotels are powered by women — from the majority of the workforce to the fact that women make more than 80% of travel buying decisions. Having women on boards isn’t just fair, it’s good business. Diversity drives stronger results and deeper innovation. The hotels that embrace this will thrive,” Barnett emphasizes.

And the business case is compelling: McKinsey reports that companies with gender-diverse leadership teams are 25% more likely to outperform, and those with more than 30% women in leadership post 48% stronger results than peers.

How to Make Progress on Gender Equality in The Hotel Industry

The report offers a 10-step action plan including everything from gender audits to mentoring schemes to family-friendly policies, all proven tools to shift the balance.

“We know what works...mentoring, gender audits, family-friendly policies, transparent targets. The challenge for hotels now is to move beyond incremental progress to action at scale. That’s where we’ll see real transformation,” says Barnett.

Hospitality is built on welcoming everyone. Leadership should be no different. It’s time hotels checked women into the boardroom, too!!