OUR AMBASSADOR:
HANNA VERBOOM
Hanna Verboom has experienced first-hand how travel can broaden your world. As ambassador for the SUITSUIT Foundation, she uses her work as a filmmaker and storyteller to bring the stories of the women behind our journeys into view.
“Women working in tourism still do not always get the opportunities they deserve.”
HANNA’S STORY
Travel has been a constant throughout Hanna Verboom’s life. She grew up in Kenya and Uganda before moving to the Netherlands at the age of twelve. Her love of other countries, cultures and people remained. Travel has shaped her and taught her to look at the world with an open mind.
“When you immerse yourself in other cultures and are welcomed into people’s homes, you see that the world can look very different. There is so much we can learn from that.”
Hanna brings this open outlook to her work as a filmmaker, storyteller and social entrepreneur. For many years, she has been particularly committed to equal rights and opportunities for women around the world. “This is incredibly important to me because I grew up around women who, sadly, did not have the same opportunities as I did.” This inequality is also evident in the travel and tourism sector. Millions of women work in the industry, yet the opportunities and economic benefits created by tourism do not automatically reach them.
“Women working in this sector still do not always get the opportunities they deserve. That is concerning, because their work never supports just themselves. There is always a family or local community around them too.”
THE POWER OF TRAVEL
This is exactly where Hanna sees opportunities. Because the way we travel matters. Where we stay, who we book with and which local initiatives we support all help determine who benefits from tourism. “Travel is not something you do only for yourself. There is a strong sense of reciprocity in it. That is where the power of travel lies. By choosing organisations led by women more often, for example, we can make a real difference. I truly believe that.”
“Travel is not something you do only for yourself. There is a strong sense of reciprocity in it.”
That is exactly where Hanna’s story and our mission come together. Through a new documentary series, she wants to put a face to the women behind our journeys. Rather than simply telling stories about them, she wants to create space for their own stories, dreams and ambitions. “There are so many remarkable female role models who sometimes do things differently, often going against the current. I believe it is important to turn the camera and our attention towards these women. Their stories can inspire and move us.”
BRINGING STORIES TO LIGHT, TOGETHER
As our ambassador, Hanna visits women involved in the projects we support. She travels to different parts of the world to hear their stories: about their daily lives, their ambitions, the opportunities available to them and the barriers they face.
Their experiences and perspectives are the starting point. In a new documentary series, Hanna shows who these women are, what drives them and what tourism can mean for them, their families and their communities.
Our collaboration with Hanna is a long-term one. Alongside the documentary series, we will work together on more stories and journalistic productions exploring our mission and projects, including a podcast.
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