The Phuket Hotels Association and C9 Hotelworks successfully held this year’s Mind the Gap: Women and Diversity in Hospitality forum at the SAii Laguna Phuket.

Soomi Soorian, senior advisor to the Phuket Hotels Association and one of the key moderators of the forum said: “Mind the Gap talks about the challenges in the workforce for all sorts of people from various walks of life, [especially when it comes to] diversity, equality, and inclusiveness.”

C9 Hotelworks founder and managing director Bill Barnett added: [Mind the Gap is] a series of individuals telling you a story. It’s about learning, it’s about collaboration between like-minded people. These events are incredibly important to spur change and engagement [in the industry.]”

Indeed this year’s forum served as a candid and insightful venue for discussions on pressing issues such as the lingering gap regarding gender equality in the hospitality and tourism workforce; the need for greater inclusivity and understanding; as well as the need to be more open to neurodiversity in the workplace.

Reducing workplace stress with compassion and mindfulness

The inclusion of Dragonfly 360 founder Pranapda Chairathivat among this year’s speakers was a timely move on the part of organisers, seeing how those in the hospitality service sector are among the world’s most stressed employees with up to 93 percent experiencing discrimination due to their gender and race based on recent studies.

Chairathivat said at the beginning of her talk: “I [am speaking to you] about how simple acts can transform lives, to make you a better leader, and teach you how to lead well.”

She shared five key points with participants geared towards self-empowerment as well as promoting gender equality in the workplace. These were: to be role models to those around them by showing respect and fairness in their actions; offer assistance even for the simplest tasks; use inclusive language in the workplace; celebrate success by acknowledging and lauding the achievements of women around them; and engage the men in their lives to support and respect gender equality.

Addressing the need for neurodiversity

However, gender issues weren’t the only ones being addressed this year at Mind the Gap, as Steps Community chief executive Max Simpson came to discuss the need for greater understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity and disability in the hospitality workforce.

Simpson’s talk showed both sides of the story. On one end, families with neurodivergent or physically disabled members find themselves making excuses not to travel or wishing for enhancements that would make travel easier and more enjoyable for themselves and their loved ones. On the other, the hospitality sector needs to be more open to these unique individuals as they, too, can contribute meaningfully to the success of the organisation.

Simpson cited Steps Community’s pilot project with IHG Hotels and Resorts in Thailand as a concrete example of how education regarding neurodivergence and physical disability helps. 

Thanks to the inaugural Steps x IHG Disability Reduction Toolkit, 71.5 percent of the company’s employees at its 31 hotels in Thailand now have a greater understanding of neurodiversity. At the same time, the number of employees concerned about the feasibility of implementing accessibility measures fell by 24 percent.

IHG is slated to roll the toolkit out to its global network by next year.