The Most Powerful Women in Travel in 2026

"WNBA player Napheesa Collier is leveraging the growing interest in women's sports to call for greater financial equity and support for players. Or the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich, who has created an inclusive community through her Minneapolis bookstore Birchbark Books, providing a platform for the nation's flourishing Indigenous literary scene and, in recent months, a safe space for her neighbours as her city endured ongoing trauma and unrest."

"Director Cherien Dabis spoke about her award-winning film All That's Left of You, a stirring family epic about Palestinian displacement, and her belief that 'being joyful is a form of resistance.' That might be the most important sentiment to take away from this year's list. Joy, in all its forms, is peppered throughout the work and stories of every woman featured."

Condé Nast Traveller's Women Who Travel Power List celebrates influential women transforming how people move through and understand the world. These leaders span diverse fields including sports, literature, film, and hospitality, demonstrating how travel and cultural platforms can drive social change. Athletes like Napheesa Collier advocate for financial equity in women's sports, while author Louise Erdrich uses her bookstore as a community hub supporting Indigenous literature and providing refuge during social unrest. Filmmaker Cherien Dabis explores Palestinian displacement through cinema, emphasizing joy as resistance. The list highlights how these women leverage their platforms to address political, environmental, and social challenges while fostering inclusive communities and cultural understanding.

Read at CN Traveller