TAMPA, Fla. — Destinations International (DI), the world’s leading association representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), has shifted away from its equity, diversity and inclusion positioning to a more holistic social inclusion approach.
Sophia Hyder Hock, who was hired as DI’s first Chief Diversity Officer in 2022, is now its Chief Inclusion Officer.
“The association remains deeply committed to creating spaces and places in the travel industry that promote a true sense of welcoming and belonging for people of all backgrounds and abilities,” Hyder Hock said.
As part of this new focus, DI has created an Inclusion Framework comprised of pillars including accessibility, supplier diversity, community representation and engagement, crime and safety, homelessness, mental health and wellbeing, and other issues of importance to trade show professionals.
In addition, DI has created an Accessibility Playbook with TravelAbility that is focused on improving travel and meeting experiences for people with disabilities. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, live with disabilities. The playbook includes a collection of 90 tips and includes information on mobility issues, deafness, blindness and autism/neurodiversity. DI is working on a meetings and event module for the playbook that will launch next year.
“Accessibility is a critical and growing focus for our members,” said Don Welsh, President and CEO of DI. “We’re delighted to have TravelAbility as our trusted partner in developing this invaluable resource to help destination organizations and travel businesses worldwide advance accessibility in their local communities.”
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“This is a win-win for travel organizations and the millions of travelers who can benefit from more accessible and inclusive travel experiences,” Jake Steinman, Founder and CEO of TravelAbility said. “What excites me the most is that this partnership opens the door to reaching more than 750 destinations worldwide to help them become more inclusive.”
Another DI focus is diversification and retention. In response, DI drafted a 10-year vision of a workforce diversification and retention strategy that is in the works. It will include accountability measures and metrics.
DI will also release a case study about its annual convention that took place this July in Tampa, Florida. Record-breaking attendance and a focus on the community were features of this year’s gathering that was held at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street.
Given legislation in Florida, DI recognized that isolating destinations through travel boycotts or bans ultimately impacts the communities where events are held. Often, this has the biggest impact on underrepresented populations.
Reach Don Welsh at dwelsh@destinationsinternational.org and Sophia Hyder Hock at shyderhock@destinationsinternational.org
