Women in Travel (CIC), the social enterprise dedicated to empowering women through employability and entrepreneurship in the travel and hospitality industry, is partnering with Google, the latest corporate to join BAME Women in Travel’s Corporate Membership scheme, since launching this summer.

Google’s Corporate Membership, spearheaded by its travel division, will see Women in Travel and Google work together to address shared challenges around racial equity in the industry, ranging from Allyship in the workplace to how the industry as a whole looks at diversifying travel marketing.

The Corporate Membership allows BAME Women in Travel to engage with its forward-thinking and committed members to create tailored solutions to tackle BAME issues ranging from Allyship in the workplace, recruitment and retention, highlighting BAME talent in the industry and advising on how to attract and engage diverse travel audiences authentically. Supporting BAME Women in Travel’s core purpose of addressing racial inequality as a societal, moral, and business issue, the Corporate Memberships aim to accomplish the following four key strategic goals:

• Setting tangible targets to increase BAME representation within the travel and hospitality industry
• Breaking the BAME glass ceiling by boosting the profile of existing industry employees
• Raising the profile of existing BAME Women in Travel through ‘Breakthrough to Excellence’ spotlights and collaborative events
• Establishing best practice guidelines and supporting cross-sector Women in Travel networks and interest groups to galvanise change in matters such as ethnicity pay gaps and talent pipelines

Speaking on the partnership Finnbar Cornwall, Industry Leader in Travel at Google, said: “We’re dedicated to partnering with BAME Women in Travel on this important topic. This year in particular has really shone a spotlight on racial injustices and now companies and corporations need to stand up and commit to racial and social justice and equality within their organisation. We’re committed to being an ally for BAME travellers and championing diversity across the travel industry.”

The Corporate Memberships have been launched as part of BAME Women in Travel’s Vision 2023 plan, which seeks to ensure that BAME Women in the travel industry have a fair and equal opportunity to be hired, retained, and promoted. The three-year plan is being spearheaded by BAME Women in Travel’s Executive Director Jamie-Lee Abtar, whose experience includes 10 years in the travel sector.

Speaking about her involvement with BAME Women in Travel, Jamie-Lee Abtar, Executive Director, said: ” The BAME Women in Travel Corporate Partnership scheme is a great way for companies to step up and commit to increasing and supporting BAME representation in the travel industry and we’re delighted to have Google onboard as a fantastic ally. You can’t be what you can’t see is a phrase we hear time and time again, so our goal is to refocus energy and commitment in UK workforces, to drive change and ensure that travel businesses attract, recruit, retain and develop BAME talent.”