Try giving women what they want

March is the month we celebrate women. This year the theme for International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8, is #EmbraceEquity.

In business, equality means giving everyone what they need to be successful but to provide all genders with equal opportunities there will be times when women require more than a level playing field, that’s equity. For some employers #EmbraceEquity may simply mean negotiating more flexible working hours for female employees and for accommodation providers it entails offering women guests experiences that they seek, and not prioritising what male guests want.

A business community that provides a safe culture, which actively promotes and supports all women is stronger, more attractive to talented employees and to guests, and therefore much more successful.

On that note, happy International Women’s Day to all the hardworking women across our wonderful management rights and accommodation sector. My advice? Never forget to insist on ‘me time’ and sometimes put yourself first. On the subject of hardworking women, Maree Smith the onsite manager of Hidden Vista Resort took time out of her busy resort management schedule to pen some thoughts on how she feels about the ‘attack on term’, and to her, it’s very personal. She says the campaign is an attack on the concept of management rights and therefore an attack on her business, her livelihood, her role, and ultimately on her. I am sure her opinion reflects the feelings of most onsite managers right now and you can read it in full on page 19. This month Paul Grant, the Noosa-based finance broker, from Mike Phipps Finance is in the hot seat. Get to know Paul (or perhaps you know him as PG) on page 12. You will find this month’s report by industry writer Grantlee Kieza on page 40. He investigates the Wide Bay and Capricorn Coast to find out if it really is riding a wave of success since COVID and if so, why? He talks to experts across the industry from agents, valuers, financiers, lawyers, onsite managers, and tourism and accommodation professionals to discover why the largely undiscovered places (until now) like Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are currently attracting a surge of visitors and therefore investors. For our profiles, we took off to Yeppoon to talk to Andrea and Bill Stokje who took over Oshen Holiday Apartments in 2019 (page 48). Then headed to Seventeen Seventy (page 51) where Andrea and Bill’s son Adam Stokje and daughter-in-law Sinead are the perfectly poised resident managers of Pavillions on 1770.

Enjoy this edition of Resort News