USA, Miami, Florida. December 14, 2020

Women in the travel industry are teaming up against the COVID-19 crisis, launching a global movement focused on reducing career regression and increasing representation of women in leadership roles across all travel and hospitality sectors.

The Women in Travel Thrive community offers free access to professional development, mentorship and other resources empowering women to maintain and build on their success as COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect the lives and livelihoods of women. The initiative is steadily gaining momentum with 20 founding members representing more than a dozen of the nation's most highly respected travel brands and some of the industry's top women leaders committed to serving as mentors, including Dorothy Dowling, chief marketing officer and senior vice president at Best Western Hotels & Resorts and Melissa Maher, senior vice president of marketing and industry engagement at Expedia Group. Hundreds of women have begun following Women in Travel Thrive and submitting personal stories to share on the organization's social media channels and begin making connections.

"It is estimated that women's jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable to this crisis than men's jobs and, for women in travel, the job losses and long-term risk for career regression are immense," said Silvia Camarota, senior director of North America market management lodging at Expedia Group, a founding member of Women in Travel Thrive. "None of us could sit back and watch our roles and representation in leadership suffer amid the COVID-19 crisis, so we decided to do something about it. In just a few months, we have built a community where women are each other's greatest champions and the connections we are making will undoubtedly ensure women not only achieve their potential but also secure their future in the travel industry."

Women in Travel Thrive is currently planning a virtual event where individuals who register as mentees will be formally connected with their mentors and receive access to resources to help regain control of and future proof their careers in the travel industry. Women in Travel Thrive's Inaugural Day of Impact will be held January 26 - 28, 2020. Those interested in mentorship or mentoring others can register online now at www.womenintravelthrive.com.