37 How Tourism Can Transform Women's Lives With Alessandra Alonso & Florbela

Welcome back to The Tourism RESET with me, your host, Rebecca Woolford.

My guests today are Alessandra Alonso, award-winning founder of Women in Travel CIC - named one of 9 women transforming travel by Matador Network and one of 50 most important women in travel by Wanderlust AND Florbela, a tour guide whose story proves exactly why Alessandra's work matters.

For two decades, Alessandra has been championing women in tourism. It started when she noticed she was always the only woman in the boardroom. Women are 54% of tourism's workforce - yet rarely are they in decision-making roles (even today). So, she built the Tour Guiding Academy to change that.

It trains women like Florbela, who at almost 50 reinvented herself as a tour guide fuelled by passion, cultural heritage, and storytelling. Now she's creating exactly what travellers love most in the heart of London: authentic, immersive, deeply human experiences.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

🌍 "There is a lot of talent still totally invisible to industry" - where we're missing out by fishing from the same pond

🌍 Alessandra's journey: from being the only woman in every boardroom to building an academy that transforms lives

🌍 The business case + why curiosity matters: "Don't do things how they've always been done"

This is essential listening for tour operators, DMCs, and travel professionals who source guides or are looking for unique local experiences. Because the talent creating what travellers want most might be invisible to you and Alessandra shows you where to look.

Before visiting WTM in London this year, I joined Alessandra on a Syrian-Palestinian tour with Nadia, another academy graduate. On a memorable and engaging walking tour, we explored Syrian culture through London. If you're curious about the Tour Guiding Academy or would like to experience a tour find out more here -https://www.womenintravelcic.com/entrepreneurship/the-tour-guiding-academy/

If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to check out my learning resources designed for travel professionals and teams who lead with impact - including our hub of on-demand video masterclasses to lean into topics like those covered in today's episode.

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