Organized by USAID and UN Women, the first conference on women in tourism was held in Sarajevo, along with a fair of products and handicrafts.
The first conference of its kind, dedicated to women in tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, titled “Women in Tourism: Breaking Barriers, Shaping the Future,” was held today in Sarajevo with the aim of promoting equal representation and the economic empowerment of women in the tourism sector.
The conference, organized by the U.S. Government through USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina and UN Women BiH, brought together leading actors in the tourism sector, representatives of companies, government institutions, and non-governmental and international organizations. Through two panel discussions, as well as accompanying content, key topics on the development of tourism were discussed, with a focus on the contribution of women to tourism in BiH.
“I am very proud of the activities that the U.S. government, through the USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has undertaken and continues to undertake to strengthen gender equality and the progress of women in the tourism sector. These activities include organizing today’s conference to issue an urgent call to action addressed to sector leaders, policy makers, and communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Join us in empowering the role of women in tourism! Indeed, the fact is that when women advance, your businesses and your society will advance! Together, we can create a tourism sector that is inclusive, empowering, and acts as a catalyst for the economic prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”, stated Courtney Chubb, Director of the USAID Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Director of the USAID/BiH Mission Courtney Chubb officially opened the conference “Women in Tourism: Breaking Barriers, Shaping the Future”
“This conference, the first of its kind, challenges the tourism industry to break stereotypes and create an environment in which women can truly thrive. By partnering with USAID Turizam in implementing the UN Women’s ‘Empowerment Principles’ initiative in the BiH tourism sector, we commit to supporting women in realizing their full potential. Empowering women in tourism not only promotes gender equality but also drives economic growth through the development of a dynamic, diverse, and skilled workforce. This initiative fosters innovation, nurtures entrepreneurship, and promotes sustainable development at the local and national level,” said Jo-Anne Bishop, representative of UN Women in BiH.
For more photos, browse through the photo gallery.
During the first discussion, panelists talked about inclusivity and equality in tourism, highlighting the importance of overcoming gender barriers in the tourism sector and promoting diversity in this branch of the economy.
“The goal of all organizations working on promotion and attracting and empowering women to engage in economic flows is precisely to first empower women to become independent, to undertake certain activities in the economy, and, on the other hand, to enable the economy to have new sources and workforces, new sources of knowledge, new sources of information in terms of management and activities. In this way, women can contribute to the development of the economy itself. Especially in tourism, there is a pronounced shortage of labor, i.e., a huge need for skilled and educated labor,” stated Dragana Kokot, General Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska.
The second panel discussion focused on encouraging women’s entrepreneurship, the obstacles that female entrepreneurs face in business, ways of overcoming them, and the types of support available to women who want to start their own tourism businesses.
“It is a great pleasure and a great honor for me that the Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo hotel has been recognized as a positive example of women’s empowerment and women’s representation within the company and management structures. I am glad that we have been recognized as a positive example and regardless of our positive practice and culture of empowering women that we have built, which we all sincerely live by, we will not give up on spreading that energy outward and that is why we are truly pleased to be a part of this conference,” added Edina Zagora, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo.
The conference also featured a fair that promoted creative handicrafts and products by female entrepreneurs from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
See what it was like at the “Handicraft and Product Fair” (browse through the photo gallery)
