On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, organized an event at the Capsule^T Accelerator, aiming to highlight the contribution of women to innovation, entrepreneurship and the shaping of the modern tourism ecosystem.

The event focused particularly on the rapidly growing field of travel technology (travel tech), shedding light on both the challenges and the opportunities that arise for women in a sector that is being rapidly transformed through technology and digital innovation.

As part of the discussion, three women leaders in the field of travel tech startups participated: Katerina Kamtsi, Co-founder & COO of Campsaround, Daphne Tsevreni, Co-founder & CRO of Clio Muse Tours, and Elisavet Karatza, Co-founder & CRO of Deliverback. Through their experiences, they shared their personal journeys in entrepreneurship, spoke about their vision for the tourism of the future and sent a message of encouragement to women considering becoming active in the sector.

During the event, comparative data from the Capsule^TAccelerator regarding women’s participation in the travel tech ecosystem were also presented. The data confirms a global paradox: while tourism is the sector with the highest participation of women in the workforce, their presence in leadership and entrepreneurial roles remains lower.

In Greece, this trend appears to be intensifying. Within one year, the percentage of women founders in the Greek startup ecosystem decreased by 9 percentage points, despite the increase in startup investments by 35%. These figures highlight a double challenge: although travel tech attracts more women compared to other sectors, the creation of startups by women is declining.

Within this context, the initiatives of the Capsule^T Accelerator highlight the importance of strengthening the presence of women in the tourism innovation ecosystem. Indicatively, in the youth ideas competition Idea Platform 2024, the participation of women as founders reached 40%, marking a record number. At the same time, the accelerator’s data show that 29% of women participate in Greek travel tech startups as executives.

In his speech, the President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Mr. Alexandros Vasilikos, emphasized the importance of women’s contribution to the hospitality sector:

“The hospitality sector owes a significant part of its dynamism to the contribution of women - as employees, as executives, as entrepreneurs who shape the tourism of the next day with vision and creativity. The digital transformation of hospitality opens new horizons. Startup entrepreneurship in tourism is not the privilege of a few - it is a field where the female perspective and leadership ability can make a real difference.”

As he noted, through the Capsule^T Accelerator the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels provides structured support, mentoring and access to market networking opportunities, supporting every woman who wants to turn an idea into a sustainable startup. “Today’s event reflects our commitment to equal opportunities and meaningful empowerment. After all, for us in Greece it is not accidental that the word hospitality is feminine,” he added.

The event was honored by the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Olga Kefalogianni, who congratulated the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and the Capsule^T team for the work they are doing, contributing to the transition of Greek tourism into a new era of creativity and technology.

As she mentioned, tourism is rapidly transforming through the use of artificial intelligence, digital tools and new technologies that change the way travelers discover a destination and experience their journey. Within this framework, the Ministry of Tourism is proceeding with the redesign of the official travel portal VisitGreece.gr, which by 2026 will utilize artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies for a more personalized experience for visitors.

Concluding, Ms. Kefalogianni addressed a message to every woman considering becoming active in tourism:

“To dare. To create. To believe in the power of her ideas. Because the tourism of the future will not be built only with investments and technology. It will be built with people who have vision. And Greece has many such women.”

From her side, the Director of the Capsule^T Accelerator, Ms. Katerina Saridaki, noted:

“Today’s event is a special opportunity to see up close the dynamic role of women in the tourism sector, to hear their experiences and to connect their stories with the data that reflect their participation in the innovation ecosystem.”

As she mentioned, through 8 acceleration cycles and 6 Idea Platform competitions, a total of 132 women have actively participated in Capsule^T startups - a percentage corresponding to 29% of the total - while women founders reach 24.5%.

Particularly encouraging is the participation of young women and female students in the Idea Platform, which reached 40% in 2024. “Our goal is to further strengthen this interest and actively support their next steps - because when more women lead in travel tech, the sector becomes better,” she concluded.

Innovative technological solutions from startups of the accelerator’s ecosystem also contributed to the experience of the event. The two AI Hostesses of SmartINN.ai / SmartRep welcomed the guests and supported the registration process, offering a first glimpse of how artificial intelligence can enhance the hospitality experience.

At the same time, the startup New Generation Hotelier participated with KettyBot, a hospitality robot that moved around the event space, offering flowers to the attendees and creating a unique interactive experience. We warmly thank the teams for their participation and their contribution to creating an innovative and welcoming atmosphere.

We also had the pleasure of hosting representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organization and SETE, members of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, as well as partners and mentors of the Capsule^T. Journalists and media representatives were also present, contributing to highlighting the discussion around the role of women in innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism.

The event highlighted that the presence of women in tourism and technological innovation is not only a matter of equality, but also a key factor for the evolution of the sector itself. Through initiatives such as this, the conditions are created for more women to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses, actively contributing to shaping the tourism of the next day.