ISSUES By Sarah Suydam
The Critical Importance and Power of DEI in Travel
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W hile some corporations, educat iona l inst it ut ions, and organizations are rolling back their d i v e r s i t y, e q u i t y a n d i n c l u s i o n initiatives, many are standing firm in t heir commit ments, understanding the power and necessit y of DEI. We t apped t he e x per t i se of i ndu st r y leaders to lea r n why center i ng t hese principles ma ke t he indust r y a stronger and more inclusive place for travelers of all k inds. According to Roni Weiss, Executive Director, Travel Unit y, people often put DEI into a small box. “ Ye s , r a c e a n d e t h n i c i t y a r e impor tant par ts of ident it y t hat we need to consider, but if we’re talk ing
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GROUPS TODAY Ju ly /Au g ust 2 02 5
about staff, customer, or communit y ex per iences, we need to consider a ll of t he dif ferent aspects of what m a k e s a p er s on w ho t he y a r e,” Weiss said. “This includes disabilit y status, gender ident it y, and dietar y rest r ic t ion s. Yes, g luten f ree a nd not drink ing alcohol should both be considered part of DEI.” St e ph a n ie M . Jone s , C E O a nd M a n a g i n g D i r e c t or, D i s r u p t f or Change, shares that although many have excluded DEI as a pr ior it y or refer to it by another name, we should be less focused on t he terminolog y a nd mor e f o c u s e d on out c ome s w h ic h add re s s r ac i a l i ne qu a l it y, economic injustice, lack of cultural
representation, and industr y access. “A s a B l a c k w o m a n w h o h a s bu i lt he r c a r e e r a d v o c at i n g f or u nde r r e pr e s ent e d Bl ac k t ou r i s m busi nesses, DEI shou ld mea n ensuring t hat Black tour operators, cu lt u ra l i nst it ut ions, a nd tou r ism ent repreneu r s have a n ec onom ic s t a k e i n t h e m a r k e t ,” J o n e s ex pla ined. “It’s about ma k ing sure ou r stor ies, ou r com mu n it ies, a nd ou r busi nesses a re not on ly seen, but supported, funded, and elevated across t he g loba l t ravel & tou r ism ecosystem.” Jo h n Ta n z e l l a , P r e s i d e n t a n d CEO, Inter nat iona l LGBTQ+ Travel Associat ion (IGLTA), notes t hat t he