Equity, Diversity & Inclusion CEO Pledge

Destinations International believes in the importance of cultivating a tourism industry that represents a wide variety of individuals at every level of a destination organization. We celebrate the broad range of human differences among us, while also embracing the commonalities we all share.

We firmly stand by our belief that all industries should be open to everyone for opportunities and growth and that it is critical for industry CEOs and executive leaders to commit to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to drive a vision for change and be accountable for implementing that change. A diverse and inclusive workplace is central to our industry’s ability to attract, develop, and retain the talent it needs to remain competitive, drive innovation and maintain relevancy. We stand committed to our vision to implement Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategies and best practices and promise to work with our members and industry leaders to be the catalyst for change. There is much work to be done and we must all come together to advance these dialogues to drive solutions.

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In 2021, Destinations International will offer several opportunities for industry CEOs and executive leaders to activate the below pledge, including the below Masterclass that will launch in February 2021:

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion CEO Masterclass 

Companies are a microcosm of the social and cultural world in which they exist. True change involves a strategic plan to dismantle structural racism and bring all destinations to the ideal version of themselves. In 2021, Destinations International will partner with The Ladipo Group to expand its equity, diversity, and inclusion programming to support these efforts with six (6) virtual sessions designed around the topics of Emotional Intelligence, Effective Communication, Microaggressions, Unconscious Bias and Allyship. These 90-minute sessions are specifically designed for CEOs and executive-level staff and will be held between February through December 2021. These sessions will aid in your personal development and investment in being a change maker in your destination and will support the creation of a diverse workforce.

Will you join us? Join the pledge...

We will build and sustain an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce, led by executive leadership and our boardrooms.

We recognize how critical inclusivity is to bring together a wide variety of voices when promoting tourism and sustaining our economies. Growing an inclusive and equitable workforce reflects the level of diversity we wish to welcome to our destinations. It will foster innovation and provide space for historically marginalized voices to positively evolve how we promote tourism and authentically welcome all travelers. 

We will collectively share best practices for growing equity, diversity and inclusion industry-wide, and we will hold one another accountable for measuring action and progress.

We are part of a highly collaborative and engaged community that leverages the benefits of cooperative learning and shared growth. From understanding the role that unconscious bias plays in preventing equity to actively working towards dismantling systems of power and privilege, we are committed to having open, honest conversations, while holding each other accountable for bringing about an inclusive and equitable industry. That includes sharing knowledge for building an EDI educational curriculum and engaging the expertise of diversity and inclusion professionals.

We will share the lived experiences of marginalized and underrepresented communities that are disproportionately unseen in tourism marketing and storytelling. 

We firmly believe in the transformative power of travel, and we are dedicated to including who the industry has historically ignored. Our goal is to push towards inclusive and equitable marketing practices that prioritize partnerships with underrepresented populations, implement marketing practices that are representative of the communities we promote, advocate for sustainability, and honors the history of the ancestral lands we welcome travelers to explore. We see these as foundational to authentic representation and inclusion.

We will support actions in our communities that seek to achieve equity and justice for everyone, including travelers, stakeholders and citizens alike. 

We are deeply connected to the communities that make up our destinations, and we are committed to nurturing broader cultural and institutional changes that help shape and reimagine what equity and justice looks like. This is imperative to improve our ability to foster a welcoming environment within our destinations for visitors, support our local businesses to purchase goods and services from diverse vendors, and, most of all, stay dedicated to demonstrating how our industry can enrich the lives of those living in our destinations.

I am personally invested and committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.

I acknowledge my role as a fundamental change-maker in defining success for equity, diversity and inclusion. I am fully aware that I must commit to doing the work first before asking the same of others. Therefore, I pledge to focus on my own personal growth around understanding how systemic oppression, social injustice and economic disparity hinder equality. I will invest in broadening my self-awareness of these issues through education, training, and peer networking to have these tough, but critical, conversations.

See who's committed...

See your industry peers who have committed to the pledge.