AS INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day approaches this Sun, reef manager for Daydream Island Lisa McMullen has told travelBulletin that more female pathways in both the eco -travel and -tourism industries will expand in the near future.
McMullen explained that these pathways will grow as scientific practices evolve, calling on more women to “get in people’s faces and just start having conversations”.
She leads a predominantly female team at the only eco-certified resort in the Whitsundays, labelling her colleagues as an “incredible group of women who are leading the charge for the science and the research in this area and science tourism.”
Reflecting on working alongside other Whitsundays marine conservation organisations, McMullen said “nearly every meeting I’m having at the moment is with a female project leads, so seeing those people and just being like, ‘yes, we can do this together’”.
Her team at Daydream have been at the forefront of not only conserving the island’s wildlife and coral lagoons, but also attracting tourists through setting an example, stating “people who are looking for those eco-certifications will definitely come here”.
“When they see that there’s a team of marine biologists doing their site stewardship actions, then they would definitely be more inclined to come here as well,” she added.
McMullen credits this group dynamic and strong representation to the expanded dialogue seen within the industry, describing her initial steps as “intimidating” in a male-led industry “before it was a little bit more closed off.”
“The web of communication is getting bigger, we’re cross-skilling and talking to each other…more and encouraging each other.”
McMullen also draws on her experience of having a female mentor in coral restoration, describing her as “brilliant” and “amazing”, alongside having the shared experience of coming up in a male-dominated industry.
