In Brief: Female traveler safety research among key future initiatives announced as WINiT expands mentorship, community and leadership development worldwide
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GBTA Foundation Marks WINiT’s Growing Global Impact at 2026 Summit – Image Credit GBTA
More than 200 business travel professionals, leaders and allies came together for the 2026 WINiT Summit, a two-day leadership retreat focused on advancing women and gender equity through mentorship, professional development and community building.
Held October 26–27 at the American Airlines Robert L. Crandall Campus in Fort Worth, Texas, the Summit showcased WINiT’s growing global reach and impact while bringing the industry together around this year’s theme, “Rise and Renew.”
“WINiT creates pathways for women to build their networks, grow as leaders and open doors for those coming behind them,” said Delphine Millot, Managing Director, GBTA Foundation. “The progress we’re celebrating shows what our industry can achieve when we invest in women and strengthen the next generation of leadership.”
Expanding WINiT’s Global Reach and Impact
Rooted in WINiT’s pillars of mentorship, professional development and community, the Summit highlighted the program’s progress in 2026, including:
- Expanding to more than 1,300 members across five regional chapters, with an Asia Pacific chapter planned to launch soon;
- Mobilizing more than 200 active mentors and mentees worldwide;
- Engaging more than 1,000 women through 10 global networking events; and
- Connecting more than 150 participants through focused career conversations, including mini-mentoring sessions, as part of expanded regional programming and leadership development efforts.
Advancing Female Traveler Safety
Building on the Summit’s focus on advancing women across the business travel industry, the GBTA Foundation announced plans to partner with Corporate Travel Management (CTM), on a new research study examining the challenges women face while traveling for work. The research will help inform new industry resources and lay the groundwork for practical guidance.
“By better understanding the challenges women face while traveling for work, we can help create safer and more equitable business travel experiences for women worldwide and give the industry the insights needed to take meaningful action,” said Bev Heinritz, Director, Foundation Programs at the GBTA Foundation.
The study is expected to be released early next year in conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8.
Inspiring Leadership, Connection and Community Impact
The Summit’s agenda helped attendees explore leadership development, career advancement, mentorship, resilience and well-being, allyship, workplace equity and women’s safety in business travel through keynotes, interactive discussions and networking opportunities.
Attendees, who came from as far as New Zealand, Hong Kong and Dubai, also supported the community by donating new and gently used professional attire to Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, a Dallas-based organization serving women and children escaping domestic violence, to help them begin their next chapter.
Celebrating the 2026 WINiT Top 50
The Summit celebrated the 2026 WINiT Top 50 winners during a special reception. Announced earlier this month, the honorees span 16 countries and include established leaders, rising talent, allies and corporate champions recognized for their leadership, innovation and commitment to advancing women across the business travel industry.
Now in its 12th year, GBTA WINiT provides tools, resources, networks, mentorship and recognition to help women advance in travel-industry careers and to support a healthier, more equitable leadership pipeline across the sector.
For more information about GBTA WINiT, visit www.gbtafoundation.org/people/winit/. Pictures from the WINiT Summit will be on GBTA’s Flickr page in the coming days.