Destinations International Partners with Paradise Advertising for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Brand Marketing Initiatives
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Caitlyn Blizzard
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Destinations International Partners with Paradise Advertising for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Brand Marketing Initiatives
DALLAS, TEXAS (July 19, 2023) – Destinations International (DI), the world’s largest membership entity and resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), today announced its partnership with Paradise Advertising & Marketing Inc. (Paradise) for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) brand marketing initiatives. The announcement was made during the Recognition Celebration event which kicked off DI’s Annual Convention being held July 18-20 in Dallas, Texas.
“Destinations International is committed to creating spaces and places in the travel industry that promote a true sense of welcoming and belonging for all people regardless of backgrounds and abilities,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “We are energized to work with Paradise, a leader in both EDI and the CVB sectors, to help market and promote our EDI strategy and initiatives on a global level.”
In 2017, Destinations International embarked on a strategic approach to advance social inclusion topics across the organization and among its members. From annual EDI research on member destinations, the EDI Assessment Tool and its derivative data, hiring the organization’s chief diversity officer and establishing key EDI initiatives in 2022, to an EDI committee, subcommittees, and yearlong table talk discussions, Destinations International continues to ensure EDI is at the forefront for itself and its members.
The organization has identified five key EDI goals in which Paradise will provide brand marketing and communications support:
• Enhance the overall DI membership benefits.
• Raise awareness for EDI among all DI members.
• Grow adoption of EDI strategic plan among DI members.
• Increase DI member utilization of EDI offerings.
• Collaborate on DI’s inaugural EDI Summit.
"Commitment to EDI is intrinsically part of the DNA of every Paradise team member and we are so proud to serve as EDI brand marketing stewards for Destinations International," said Barbara Karasek, Paradise chairwoman, CEO and co-owner and DI EDI Committee member. "We look forward to working together to inspire and transform the hearts and minds of stakeholder audiences and implement DI’s bold EDI strategy for the benefit of its members, our industry, and the world we all share.”
Later in 2023, Destinations International plans to unveil six core EDI strategic priorities that are critical to growth, innovation, and creating spaces and places that champion welcoming and belonging and identify three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) which align with DI’s EDI strategy.
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About Destinations International
Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors’ bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. With more than 6,000 members and partners from over 600 destinations, the association represents a powerful forward-thinking and collaborative community around the world. For more information, visit destinationsinternational.org.
About Paradise
Founded in 2002 as an agency specializing in tourism and hospitality marketing, Paradise is an award-winning team of marketing experts with a proven ability for delivering innovative, inclusive, and data-led strategies that drive brands, businesses, communities, and tourism economies forward. With a headquarters office in St. Petersburg, the agency has full time team members in 11 states and clients in 10 states. Paradise is a member of Destinations International and active committee members for EDI, Global Leadership and Public Relations and Communications. For more information Paradise, visit paradiseadv.com.