- Women comprise a significant workforce in Greek tourism, yet leadership roles remain elusive.
- Entrenched biases and cultural norms still obstruct progress toward gender equality.
- Ioanna Dretta advocates for balanced leadership teams and temporary measures like quotas.
- Diversity in leadership improves decision-making, fostering innovation and empathy.
- Aspiring professionals must navigate a workplace often defined by outdated structures.
The Case of Women in Greek Tourism
It’s hard not to chuckle when you realize that women dominate the Greek tourism sector in sheer numbers but remain oddly invisible at the top. They’re like the unsung heroes of a symphony, except the maestro still refuses to hand over the baton. Ioanna Dretta, wearing her dual hats as the head of Marketing Greece and the CEO of REDS SA, knows this world all too well.
Tourism is often hailed as an inclusive industry in Greece, at least if you don’t care too much about who actually holds the decision-making power. Sure, women find ample job opportunities, but let’s not pretend this is all rainbows and glass slipper promotions. Leadership roles? Those still seem custom-fit for the boys’ club.
While structural barriers might not be explained away with a shrug, Dretta points to the weight of social and professional traditions that keep women tethered to supporting roles. Factors like networking cliques and outdated hierarchies do a great job of bottling up potential leaders before they even reach the boardroom.
Quotas, Networking, and Other Taboo Topics
Dretta once viewed quotas for board positions with skepticism, dismissing them as little more than token gestures. But the more she observed, the clearer it became: some systems need a good shove before they learn to walk upright. Creating what she calls a “critical mass” of women in leadership roles might require these temporary fixes—not as permanent solutions, but as the rules of engagement in workplaces resistant to organic change.
And as for the old argument that leadership must always be earned on merit? Let’s not kid ourselves. Dretta bluntly reminds us that many men achieve prominent roles through connections rather than competence. In that light, quotas start to feel less like charity and more like correcting a long-standing imbalance.
Diversity is more than a buzzword for Dretta. She sees it as a vital ingredient—almost like seasoning in a poorly made stew. Without representation that spans gender, skills, and perspectives, leadership teams risk drifting into groupthink. Women, she asserts, bring assets like empathy and adaptability to the table, qualities that enrich problem-solving and collaboration.
Cultural Change: Slow, Painful, but Necessary
Change is never instant, particularly in an industry steeped in old ways. Dretta doesn’t romanticize the uphill battle; she frames it instead as a meticulous process of shifting corporate culture. The idea of fairness isn’t just some progressive talking point—it’s a practical necessity. If tourism is to thrive, its leaders must reflect the diverse workforce they represent.
Higher salaries might not top the list of solutions here, either. Dretta argues that the real chokehold lies in missed professional opportunities instead. For women, it’s often about scaling walls they never built, trying to prove they belong in rooms where they’re treated more like decor than equals.
Words for the Next Generation
For young women eyeing a career in tourism, Dretta offers simple but pointed advice: brace yourself. The odds are laughably uneven, and you’ll feel the weight of doing more to achieve less. Still, those with determination and confidence can crack the façade. Every small step chips away at a larger system that, frankly, hasn’t found the courage to renovate itself.
Leadership in Greek tourism isn’t the unattainable summit it once seemed, but the climb is riddled with trip wires labeled bias, tradition, and favoritism. Dretta’s perspective invites a question that lingers well past the conversation: How long before systematic excuses get replaced with actual progress?
