Known for being a driving force behind women’s economic empowerment both in Canada and abroad, Almas Jiwani, President of the UN Women Canada National Committee, was a feature speaker at the Future of Tourism Talk in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Jiwani was invited by event headliner Bruce Poon Tip of G Adventures. When asked of her participation in the forum, Mr. Poon Tip said, “Women drive the tourism economy and are responsible for creating a silent industry where their voices are not heard. They are less likely to receive aide or micro financing when the major decision maker in the purchase of holiday programs are women. We need an inclusive voice in the tourism industry in the area of product development and issues of sustainable tourism and cultural preservation. So you can imagine I was thrilled that we were able to have Almas Jiwani speak on behalf of UN Women Canada to share her perspective.”
In addition to Bruce Poon Tip, Almas Jiwani joined industry leaders including Paula Vlamings and Megal Epler Wood, Co-Executive Directors of NGO Planeterra and Tony Wheeler, Founder of Lonely Planet to share her keen insights into the impact of travel and sustainable tourism on women’s economic empowerment and labour force participation in the developed and developing world