The story of Femmes du Tourisme began on March 8, 2005, when the Minister Delegate for Tourism brought together a number of women to represent the different trades in our industry.
They were then able to speak out and be heard on their expectations and needs in their professions.
In November 2005, the association was officially born.
Today, there are some 150 members, chaired by Christine Giraud, unanimously elected in 2019 to succeed Agnès Gascoin.
Discover below the interview with this passionate and committed woman.
Can you introduce yourself and your role at Femmes du Tourisme?
Christine Giraud, with ABG since ….
many years, Director of Travel Agency Sales France and Benelux.
President of the “Femmes du Tourisme” association, created in 2005 by a dozen women representing different tourism professions.
We now have almost 150 members.
My role is to energize and promote the association, to ensure its efficient, transparent and sustainable operation, and last but not least, to guarantee the solidarity we so desperately need during this extremely complex period for many of our members.
But I would be nothing without our General Secretary, Christine PIOLI, who works day in, day out to ensure the smooth running of our association.
What are the objectives and missions of Femmes du Tourisme?
The Femmes du Tourisme association promotes women’s skills, know-how and shared values.
Through a strong network dynamic, it encourages women’s careers in the rather male-dominated French tourism industry.
5 committees run by volunteer presidents and members are the driving force behind the association.
In particular, we have a “Talents and Careers” committee that helps men and women find new jobs.
Support is provided through interviews organized by two consultants who are members and volunteers of the association.
The distribution of our members’ job and internship offers also helps them in their recruitment.
There are areas in which we can no longer wait for things to change, and gender equality has undoubtedly made more progress in 70 years than in several centuries…., but the biggest mistake would be to believe that we’ve come most of the way. We have achieved legality in law, now we need equality in deed. We can’t build a different world with indifferent people, in tourism as elsewhere!
How can I join the association?
What are the criteria?
Hold a position of responsibility for at least 2 years in the private or public tourism sector.
An annual membership fee, which varies according to company size, is required.
For more information, visit www.femmesdutourisme.org.
Can you tell us about the Trophée des Femmes du Tourisme?
The Trophée de l’association is an annual event, eagerly awaited by the profession as it highlights several exceptional women who have managed to commit themselves, make their mark and diversify according to a given theme.
In 2019, “Elles subliment l’Art de vivre” has rewarded 3 extra-ordinary female managers who have combined audacity, talent and tenacity to prove that Feminine never goes hand in hand with “impossible”.
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French Secretary of State for Tourism, honored us with his participation, and Sophie Jovillard, from the TV program “Echappés belles”, helped us host the event.
Our evening is also an opportunity to highlight and support, in a modest way, a charity linked to Tourism, either by its theme or by its leaders.
“Imagine for Margo”, one of whose patrons is Nicolas Brumelot, was able to benefit in this way in 2019.
The crisis at Covid 19 and the confined space prevented us from staging our beautiful evening this year.
I look forward to seeing you in 2021.
How did Women in Tourism help each other during the COVID-19 crisis?
Right from the start, we decided to keep in touch with our members.
The association has continued to work since March.
Commissions have met in Visio, as has the Board of Directors, which has worked on topical issues, while sending out a newsletter every week.
We also organized 9 Visio-conferences, thanks to some very inspiring speakers, via the Zoom application.
The topics chosen could help them both personally and economically.
For example, we welcomed Air France with Soline de Montrémy, Sncf with Olivier Pinna, EDV with Valérie Boned, 2 lawyers (Emmanuelle Llop and Marine Vaquette), Jocelyne Font (Formanova) for stress management and communication in times of crisis… and so many other crucial subjects that enabled us, I believe, to stand by our members and provide them with modest but sincere help during this crazy period.
What is your vision for the tourism industry in the months ahead?
There’s a lot of restructuring to come, and that means a lot of social breakdown.
Mobility, flexibility and communication within companies should be the key words of the future.
I’d like to think that we’ll no longer be talking about the “tourism industry”, but more about “tourism companies”, as Jean-Pierre Mas so aptly put it!
The final word?
The current situation is upsetting our habits, our priorities and our businesses.
It calls into question our oldest certainties, and more than ever we need to stand together to face the future with a little more serenity, if possible.
We need to be aware that love, friendship and solidarity are what make life worth living.
