Breaching new frontiers

Nour Aridi, Founder & Managing Director, Tiri Consultancy

Women are perceived to be adept while dealing with challenges. Our industry allows us to experience the world and give us a platform to be creative and empathetic, utilizing our strengths to make people aspire to actuate their dreams. While I cannot speak for all women, for me our industry affords me the opportunity to utilize my innate nature to inspire female travelers and excite them what the world has to offer. Having been in the industry for the past 15 years, I am in awe of the changes I have seen in the region—women entering, growing, thriving, and excelling at what they do.

Annel Parilla, Duty Manager, Park Regis Hotel Business Bay

There is nothing more attractive than to be able to interact, socialize and to work in a multi-cultural environment. I love the idea of having an opportunity of learning different cultures and personalities with people representing a wide range of nationalities, in an even wider range of places all around the world. As I embarked on my journey,  I have started to realize this is not just a career to earn money to survive for a living, but is something that allows us to develop ourselves. It is a blessing in disguise to choose to be part of this industry, as it teaches me up to these days a lot of positivity’s that leads me to a person that I am today.

Iraida Khon, Director, Revenue Management, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

I am dedicated to delivering value to our guests. Our core value lies in turning moments into memories, and we achieve this by providing customer experiences. By understanding our guests’ needs and proposing activities that cater to their interests, we aim to elevate their stay with us. This personalized approach not only enhances their travel experience, but also justifies the investment they have made in selecting our hotel. We strive to be their travel guide, making every moment of their stay memorable and worth every penny. The result is not just a satisfied guest, but also positive online reviews that bring more business to the hotel and the destination.

Zulaikha Manik, Deputy Managing Director, Sun Siyam Resorts

When I started out 25 years ago, there were hardly any women in the industry, especially within the operations side of the business. It was a male-dominated industry and women, perhaps, felt less than adequate to take up these jobs. There is also the social and cultural stigma that was and is there to some extent. But today I see a gender shift, with women, especially school graduates taking interest in seeking and finding employment in the two sectors. Women are bolder and more career oriented now as they contrinue  to contribute  towards the development of  the industry and their ersonal development.

Inputs by TT Bureau