Social Inclusion Assessment Tool Frequently Asked Questions

Collection of Information and Preparation of Responses

Does each person on my team need to fill out this assessment, or are the responses based on a collective destination organization response?

The responses to each question are based on a collective destination response. We recommend holding discussions with team members associated with corresponding questions to understand varying perspectives and to come to a consensus on the organizational response. Multiple individuals can update on behalf of the organization, but the best recommendation is to limit to 1 or 2 people.

What is the best way to collect the information for this assessment?

We recommend having a point person in charge of guiding the overall discussion, collecting responses, and inputting responses onto the platform. After logging into the platform, download the questions, and share them with your team. Schedule time to discuss the questions and responses together. 

We recognize the varying levels of staff per destination organization. Leadership, staff responsible for driving policies and procedures, HR professionals, and marketing and sales leads within your destination should be a part of the discussion.

Who should be filling out the responses on the platform?

The Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Diversity Officer, or Human Resources are roles that should be responsible for leading the discussion, collecting, and placing responses into the platform. 

More than one person can enter data into the platform after responses have been discussed and coordinated.

How long will it take to complete this assessment?

The time to complete this assessment is dependent upon the time it takes the destination organization to discuss, collect, and input the information into the platform. We recommend downloading and/or printing the questions in advance and sharing them with team members in preparation for discussion. Typically the longest portion of the assessment is collecting or garnering sentiment from the team, where data entry can take less than 15 minutes.

Our organization may not have all the responses to the workforce demographics section. What should we do?

These questions were included in this assessment to provide your destination with a greater awareness of the diversity within your organization. However, we recognize the level of sensitivity in asking these questions, and this section is entirely optional. If your destination chooses not to answer, select ‘n/a’. Choosing ‘n/a’ will not impact your overall score.

Why is sexual orientation not included in this assessment?

While the inclusion of sexual orientation is a factor in creating more inclusivity in the workplace, this question is not asked in the workforce demographics section because this information is not collected in the employment process and is typically shared on a voluntary basis.

Can we start the survey, stop, and then continue?

Yes, you can start the assessment, save your progress along the way. At the bottom of each page is both a ‘save’ and ‘save & continue button.’ Please also see the user guide within the platform.

Can I go back and make revisions to my assessment?

Yes, revisions can be made to your responses prior to the closing of the reporting period.

Some of the questions seem subjective; what happens if some organizations are ‘tougher’ on themselves when responding to questions than others?

While Destinations International cannot control the responses of our destinations, we believe destinations will uphold a level of honesty in answering these questions if they believe in creating intentional impact with respect to their inclusion initiatives. This assessment will serve as a basis to have candid discussions with destinations on how they are leading change and how we can support them in efforts to improve their social impact. 

Reporting and Results

Will we be able to compare our results with other destination organizations?

Yes. We have a reporting tier that you can use to compare yourself to other destination organizations by budget, geography, tourism asset, sports division, and FTE count. This reporting tier also includes a direct comparison to a minimum of 5 other destination organizations. However, please note, all data is anonymous, and you will only see the aggregate of the 5 destination organization’s data.

Will we be able to track our results year by year?

Yes, results can be tracked per year. This tool is designed to be used every year as a basis to measure progress toward your social inclusion goals.

How often are we expected to update our data?

Destinations are expected to update data on an annual basis.

What happens after I receive my report?

Once you receive your report, a set of leading practices will be available for additional guidance. We recommend sharing these results with your team to collect ideas on how to improve and integrate social inclusion initiatives into your daily internal and external practices. Destinations International also offers an add-on opportunity to have a 75-minute consultation with our Chief Inclusion Officer for US$1,000. 

In addition to these offerings, resources will be provided to support your destination’s inclusion strategy. 

Will there be an opportunity to purchase the basic or standard tier but with an add-on price for the 75-minute consultation?

Yes, this option will be available for destinations to select.

Will there be workshops, consultative sessions and/or resources to help us process our results?

Yes, in addition to the 75-minute consultative option, resources and education will be provided to assist with the processing of results.

Will our score or efforts be added to a Destinations International Certification / Accreditation?

This option is currently under consideration as we develop additional resources to support our member’s efforts. 

Will there be a staff survey that goes out to our team to get their feedback on our social inclusion efforts?

We will continue to develop our annual social inclusion study on destination organizations which collects individual sentiments from people who work in destinations organizations. We also encourage destination organizations to share these assessment questions with your teams, and to get collective feedback from them.