FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

Media Contacts:
Caitlyn Blizzard
[email protected]

Washington, D.C. (January 14, 2020) – Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards, today announced its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy Roadmap for destination organizations. The roadmap can be downloaded here.

Destinations International is committed to transforming destination communities through thought leadership, best practices and tool-based initiatives on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion principles so their destinations are true reflections of their communities. Destinations International firmly stands by its belief that the travel and tourism industry should be open to everyone for opportunities and growth and that it is critical for destination organizations to commit to implementing an EDI strategy to drive a vision for change within their communities.

Destinations International has been delivering on its promise to implement equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives for the travel and tourism industry. In November 2020, the association released the 2020 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Study on Destination Organizations, and in December 2020 released the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion CEO Pledge which invites destination organization leaders to make a commitment to cultivating diversity and inclusion within their communities and workforces. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Roadmap has garnered the findings of the EDI Study and has laid out a plan to help destination organizations work toward a more diverse and inclusive community.

 “Since implementing equity, diversity and inclusion as a strategic goal for the association in 2017, Destinations International has been working to lead and engage diversity initiatives and opportunities within our industry,” said Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. “The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Roadmap is a first of its kind for the association and will be an instrumental resource for our members as we all work together to build a more inclusive industry. The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. joins the almost 200 executive directors and CEOs who have already pledged to commit to working toward a more inclusive environment and we will challenge ourselves and our staff daily to follow this strategy set in place by our industry’s trade association. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of this initiative at this particular moment in time. Things won't get better until we ALL get better.”

“In 2021 and beyond, Destinations International is committed to implementing equity, diversity and inclusion strategies and best practices and under the guidance of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we make a promise to the travel and tourism industry that we will work with our members to be a catalyst for change,” said Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International. “Some topics and conversations around equity, diversity and inclusion can be hard to have, but great work and innovation cannot be accomplished without them. Through all of our initiatives including the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Roadmap, we will challenge our members around the world to implement these initiatives within their organizations and communities.”

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Masterclass:
Destinations International will also be offering several opportunities for CEOs and executive leaders to activate the pledge, including an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Masterclass February 4 – December 9, 2021 in partnership with The Ladipo Group. The six virtual sessions designed for CEOs and executive/senior leadership will focus on a variety of topics including Emotional Intelligence, Effective Communication, Microaggressions, Unconscious Bias and Allyship. These 90-minute sessions will aid in personal development and investment in being a changemaker and will support the creation of a diverse workforce. More information and registration can be found here.

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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. Destinations International is about serving destination marketing professionals first and foremost. Together with almost 6,000 members and partners from nearly 600 destinations in approximately 13 countries, Destinations International represents a powerful forward-thinking, collaborative association; exchanging bold ideas, connecting innovative people and elevating tourism to its highest potential. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.