Equality in Tourism
Equality in Tourism International is a UK-registered charity (founded 2012) that promotes gender equality across the global tourism industry through research (Sun, Sand and Ceilings reports), consulting, impact projects, and the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award presented at ITB Berlin. It serves tourism businesses, NGOs, governments, and women entrepreneurs across 17+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Equality in Tourism does
Equality in Tourism International is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1178375, founded 2012/2013) that operates as a gender equality advocacy and research organization focused exclusively on the tourism industry. The organization is headquartered in London and was co-founded by Professor Stroma Cole and Tricia Barnett (formerly Director of Tourism Concern, 1991–2011). Its mission is to transform the lives of women in tourism by developing gender equality across the industry through cutting-edge research, best-practice promotion, and replicable case studies. The organization maintains a global network of Associates spanning at least 17 countries and serves five distinct stakeholder segments: tourism and hospitality businesses (primary), tourism industry associations and NGOs, government tourism bodies, women entrepreneurs in tourism, and academic researchers.
The organization's core "products" are non-software offerings, including: (1) the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award — an annual recognition program launched in 2022 and presented at ITB Berlin, currently in its fourth edition (2026) with two categories (Accommodation, and Travel & Destinations); (2) the Sun, Sand and Ceilings longitudinal research series tracking women's representation in tourism boardrooms, with editions in 2013, 2018, and 2025; (3) gender equality consulting services (audits, training, advisory); (4) FUTOURWORK, a workforce development initiative; (5) impact projects including the Wamboma Co-operative Society in Tanzania; and (6) content including a podcast (hosted by trustee Dr. Yasmin Begum), blog, and newsletter. The organization holds no proprietary technology platforms; its competitive differentiation rests on human expertise, the longitudinal dataset, and its global Associate ecosystem.
Revenue is generated through four streams: donations and charitable contributions (primary), professional services consulting fees, associate membership affiliations, and partnership/sponsorship contributions (notably from the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as four-year lead sponsor of the award). All public-facing content and resources are offered free of charge; consulting pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a board of trustees, has no parent company, and has received no venture capital or private equity investment. Strategic distribution is anchored by annual presence at ITB Berlin, the website (equalityintourism.org), and direct engagement via the Associate network across multiple geographies.
Equality in Tourism firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equality in Tourism
- Legal name
- Equality in Tourism International
- Website
- https://equalityintourism.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Equality in Tourism International is a UK-registered charity (founded 2012) that promotes gender equality across the global tourism industry through research (Sun, Sand and Ceilings reports), consulting, impact projects, and the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award presented at ITB Berlin. It serves tourism businesses, NGOs, governments, and women entrepreneurs across 17+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equality in Tourism industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gender Equality Advocacy Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA), Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL), Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting) (THAAANAN), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)
Keywords
Where Equality in Tourism is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Equality in Tourism business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1178375), Equality in Tourism relies on donations from individuals and organizations who support their mission to advance gender equality in tourism.
- Consulting Services: The organization offers consulting services to tourism organizations seeking to improve gender equality practices, including gender audits and training programs.
- Associate Membership: Individuals can become Associates of the organization, suggesting a potential membership or affiliation fee structure for professionals engaged in gender and tourism work.
- Partnership and Sponsorship: The organization partners with sponsors such as the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance for the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award, suggesting sponsorship revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Equality in Tourism product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equality in Tourism is a UK-registered charity that advances gender equality across the tourism industry by producing original research (e.g., the Sun, Sand and Ceilings report series tracking women's representation in tourism boardrooms), delivering gender equality consulting services including audits and training, running the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award at ITB Berlin, executing impact projects such as the Wamboma Co-operative in Tanzania, and convening a global network of Associates to support women in tourism destinations. Its offerings are sold or applied for by tourism businesses, industry associations, and government bodies seeking to measure, benchmark, and improve gender equality practices.
Product overview
Equality in Tourism International is a registered UK charity (charity number 1178375) focused on transforming lives of women in tourism by developing gender equality across the industry. Rather than a unified software product, the organisation offers a portfolio of services including the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award (now in its fourth edition), the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award Podcast, research publications (Sun, Sand and Ceilings Reports), gender equality consulting services with audits and training, the FUTOURWORK workforce initiative, tourism publications and insights, and impact projects such as the Wamboma Co-operative Society in Tanzania. The organisation generates cutting-edge research, promotes best practices for gender equality, and develops replicable case studies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award: Annual award recognizing organizations in tourism and hospitality for their efforts to improve gender equality and promote sustainability. Launched in 2022, now in its fourth edition (2026).
- FUTOURWORK
- Sun, Sand and Ceilings
- Wamboma Co-operative Society
Products and services
- Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award Annual award program recognizing tourism and hospitality organizations for their efforts to improve gender equality and promote sustainability. Includes categories such as Accommodation and Travel & Destinations, with applications open annually and the ceremony held at ITB Berlin.
- Gender Equality Consulting Services Advisory services for tourism organizations, including gender audits, training programmes, and strategic consulting to help develop gender equality policies and practices. Targeted at tourism businesses, industry associations, and government bodies.
- Sun, Sand and Ceilings Report Industry research report tracking women's representation in tourism and hospitality boardrooms, with editions published in 2013, 2018, and 2025. Provides longitudinal data and analysis for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
- FUTOURWORK Impact project and initiative focused on workforce development and gender equality in tourism, supporting skills, employment, and professional advancement for women in the industry.
- Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews with award winners, discussions of impact projects, and explorations of gender equality themes in tourism. Hosted by Dr. Yasmin Begum, trustee of the charity, and distributed via Spotify.
- Wamboma Co-operative Society Project Impact project in Tanzania empowering local women to become successful farming entrepreneurs supplying fresh produce to local hotels and restaurants. Designed as a replicable case study for gender-equitable tourism supply chains.
- Tourism Publications and Insights Educational resources including research publications, recommended reading materials, and gender and tourism insights published on the Equality in Tourism website.
Quantifiable outcome
- Women hold 33% of tourism board positions according to Sun, Sand and Ceilings 2025 report, up from 23% in 2018 and 16% in 2013
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Equality in Tourism
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Equality in Tourism technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Equality in Tourism partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA)flagshipThe World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has been the lead sponsor of the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award for four consecutive years. SHA CEO Glenn Mundziak has expressed support for the award as part of their mission to inspire and facilitate lasting positive impact in the industry. The partnership aligns with SHA's goal of Net Positive Hospitality and their focus on social impact initiatives including ethical recruitment and community engagement.
- ITB BerlincoreITB Berlin hosts the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award ceremony and panel discussions. The award presentation takes place at ITB's Hybrid Studio in Hall 5.3, providing visibility and credibility to the award program.
- PlaneterracorePlaneterra is a strategic partner working with Community Homestay Network to co-develop and facilitate responsible tourism initiatives. Through this partnership, women like Laxmi have received support to transition unpaid labor into meaningful economic opportunities through tourism.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Equality in Tourism competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UN Women: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Operates a far broader mandate than EIT but intersects directly on the women-in-tourism-workforce and policy agenda.
- World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global industry body representing the travel and tourism private sector, publishing sustainability and social-impact research (including gender). Overlaps with EIT's research and policy-influence activities but at much larger scale.
- International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency producing global data and standards on workforce gender equality, including the hospitality and tourism sectors. Comparable on the workforce-gender-and-policy intersection but with a vastly broader labour-market scope.
- UNWTO (World Tourism Organization): United Nations agency setting global sustainable tourism policy and producing gender-in-tourism statistics. Larger, broader mandate but overlapping on the gender-and-tourism intersection EIT focuses on.
Direct peers
- Center for Responsible Travel (CREST): US-based research and advocacy organisation promoting responsible and sustainable tourism, with comparable outputs of research, policy briefings, and case studies on social impact in destinations.
- The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code): Industry-driven NGO addressing human-rights and gender-related harms in tourism through advocacy, training, and a membership scheme—comparable size, mission, and sector-specific NGO model.
- Sustainable Travel International: Nonprofit working with destinations and travel companies on sustainable tourism strategy, certification, and impact programmes—comparable advocacy-and-services hybrid model in the same sector.
- World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance: Industry alliance convening major hotel groups on social and environmental impact, and the four-year lead sponsor of Equality in Tourism's Gender Equality Champion Award. Highly comparable social-impact-in-hospitality mandate.
- Planeterra: Nonprofit connecting travel and tourism to community-development impact projects (and an existing EIT strategic partner). Closely comparable in mission around women in tourism supply chains and destination impact.
- Tourism Concern: UK-based charity advocating for ethical and rights-based tourism, founded and led by Tricia Barnett (Equality in Tourism's co-director) until 2011. Closest peer in mission, geography, and advocacy approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Equality in Tourism social profiles
Digital presenceEquality in Tourism financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equality in Tourism leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Equality in Tourism funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equality in Tourism M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Equality in Tourism
What does Equality in Tourism do?
Equality in Tourism is a UK-registered charity that advances gender equality across the tourism industry by producing original research (e.g., the Sun, Sand and Ceilings report series tracking women's representation in tourism boardrooms), delivering gender equality consulting services including audits and training, running the annual Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award at ITB Berlin, executing impact projects such as the Wamboma Co-operative in Tanzania, and convening a global network of Associates to support women in tourism destinations. Its offerings are sold or applied for by tourism businesses, industry associations, and government bodies seeking to measure, benchmark, and improve gender equality practices.
Is Equality in Tourism a public or private company?
Equality in Tourism is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Equality in Tourism founded?
Equality in Tourism was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Equality in Tourism based?
Equality in Tourism is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Equality in Tourism make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are consulting Services, associate Membership and partnership and Sponsorship.
Who are Equality in Tourism's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are UN Women, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNWTO (World Tourism Organization). Direct peers are Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code), Sustainable Travel International, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Planeterra and Tourism Concern.
Does Equality in Tourism have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equality in Tourism.
What industry is Equality in Tourism in?
Equality in Tourism's product category is Gender Equality Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAD, Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGABAF, Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment.