At the "Women's Signature in Tourism" panel held within the scope of the International Antalya Tourism Fair (ATF25), women leaders from various fields of the sector discussed women's visibility in tourism, equal opportunities in leadership, glass ceilings, and inspiring stories.

The panel was moderated by Tuğçe Yolalan Baş, MTS Globe Human Resources Director; speakers included Deniz Sümerpalazoğlu, Emirates Turkey Sales Manager, Arzu Harley, Managing Partner of Holidaymine, and Deniz Selen Kılıçözgürler, General Manager and Board Member of Gezinomi.

The International Antalya Tourism Fair was held on 22–23–24 October 2025 at the Antalya ANFAŞ International Exhibition Center. Organized with the main sponsorship of Türkiye İş Bankası and the main partnership of Kilit Hospitality Group, ATF25 this year also hosted impactful panels in various areas of tourism.

ATF26 will be held again on 26–27–28 October 2026 at the Antalya ANFAŞ International Exhibition Center.

Tuğçe Yolalan Baş: “Women's touch shapes tourism”

Opening the panel, Tuğçe Yolalan Baş highlighted the increasing impact of women's labor in tourism, defining the purpose of this session with these words:

“Once, tourism was just about routes. Now, women are shaping those routes, adding value. We are going through a period where women are leaving their mark.”

Deniz Selen Kılıçözgürler: “Women's biggest problem is lack of visibility”

The first speaker of the panel, Deniz Selen Kılıçözgürler, General Manager and Board Member of Gezinomi, stated that women's employment rates in the tourism sector have stagnated in recent years:

“The female employment rate is still around 35 percent. Women are numerous in the field, numerous in operations, but absent at decision tables. Women perform very well in execution but cannot take seats on boards of directors. This hinders sustainability.”

Kılıçözgürler stated that the problem of visibility and representation directly affects women's leadership positions:

“Women progress to middle management in many companies, but they cannot reach the boards of directors where strategic decisions are made. The rate of women leaders is below 15 percent. It is not possible to talk about equality without changing this picture.”

Kılıçözgürler, who also touched upon the panel's attendance rate in her speech, drew attention to the low participation of men, saying, “Talking among women is not a solution; men also need to be part of this transformation. Progress will be slow where the topic of women is only discussed by women.”

Emphasizing that concrete policies and quota implementations are essential for strengthening women's leadership, Kılıçözgürler said, “We must move from wishing to action. Equality cannot be achieved without implementing quotas, mentorship systems, and women's leadership programs.”

Arzu Harley: “Sexism wasn't enough, now we are also fighting against age discrimination.”

Arzu Harley, Managing Partner of Holidaymine, stated that women in tourism are struggling not only with gender but also with age discrimination (ageism).
Harley described the transformation she experienced as a woman in her professional career of over 30 years and her observations during the entrepreneurship process with these words:

“Being able to say 'I am equal' is still a very ambitious statement in Turkey. Because we have a long way to go in professional life. There is a sector structure where women become invisible as they age. Age discrimination in tourism is a very sharp turn for women over 50.”

Harley stated that societal prejudices are the biggest obstacle for women and shared these striking examples:

“Who looks after your children when you are traveling? This question was asked to me repeatedly, but never to any of my male colleagues. Because we were raised in a culture that assumes women should manage everything. We must now break down this perception ourselves.”

Harley stated that social expectations for women need to change:

“Women do not have superpowers. We must rebuild a culture of sharing. Work, home, children are all shareable responsibilities. The role of women is not to be sufficient for everything, but to produce together.”

She also drew attention to women being associated with "showcase" jobs in the sector:

“The tourism sector likes women in the foreground, but when you turn 50, it thinks your shelf life is over. This perspective must change now. Women can be productive, creative, and leaders not only at a young age but at every age.”

Deniz Sümerpalazoğlu: “Every place a woman touches becomes beautiful”

Emirates Turkey Sales Manager Deniz Sümerpalazoğlu explained the importance given to gender equality in Emirates' corporate culture.
Stating that the company has achieved an exemplary rate in women's employment on an international scale, she said:

“The rate of women employees at Emirates is 43 percent. There are over 200 women executives at the senior level. Moreover, most of them are women raised in Emirati culture. This is not just a statistic for an institution, but an indicator of vision.”

Sümerpalazoğlu also mentioned the global leadership program conducted in collaboration with INSEAD, which supports women's leadership:

“Thanks to the leadership programs we conduct jointly with INSEAD, a globally important business school, women executives are supported in their career development. Organizations led by women become more agile, more empathetic, and more sustainable.”

Common Ground in Women's Leadership: Visibility and Mentorship

Later in the panel, speakers converged on the topics of visibility, mentorship, and policy support for strengthening women's leadership.
Deniz Selen Kılıçözgürler said, “If we don't produce women leaders, we cannot be represented at strategic decision tables”; Arzu Harley stated, “Women should educate not only women but also men. This mental transformation must happen together.”

Tuğçe Yolalan Baş, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of management support in the transformation of institutions, stating,

“Women's quick thinking and problem-solving skills are now making a difference in corporate cultures. However, management support is essential for this to be permanent,” she said.

Deniz Sümerpalazoğlu: “10 years later, the concept of travel will completely change”

In the final section of the panel, Sümerpalazoğlu shared her predictions regarding the future of travel.

“Artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies will fundamentally change the travel experience. Systems that can even make you feel the scent of a destination with VR are being developed. This situation could even redefine the motivation to travel.”

Sümerpalazoğlu emphasized Emirates' approach of balancing human touch with technology:

“Technology should make life easier but not replace humans. We still believe that personal communication established with guests is the most valuable experience.”

Respect and Inspiration for Sabiha Gökçen

In the panel, sources of inspiration for women leaders were also discussed.
Deniz Sümerpalazoğlu stated that she takes Turkey's first female pilot, Sabiha Gökçen, as an example,

“Flying is a symbol of transcending boundaries. Sabiha Gökçen proved that Turkish women can belong both in the sky and in management,” she said.

Tuğçe Yolalan Baş: “Women are the architects of social transformation”

At the end of the panel, Tuğçe Yolalan Baş thanked the speakers and concluded with these words:

“Today, we discussed not only tourism but also social transformation. The value women add to tourism is felt not only in production but also in culture, communication, and leadership. This transformation will be a process where women walk not only with women but with everyone.”

Time to move forward together for equality, visibility, and solidarity

“The Women's Signature in Tourism” panel revealed that the struggle for gender equality in the sector is a responsibility belonging not only to women but to all stakeholders.
Participants united on the need to increase the visibility of women's leadership, raise awareness against age discrimination, strengthen mentorship networks, and include women in decision-making mechanisms.
At the end of the panel, all speakers received a big round of applause from the stage with the message, "Every work touched by a woman becomes beautiful."

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