We can’t share travel news this month without acknowledging that we are outraged by continued police brutality and systematic racism in our country. We want to state again that we unequivocally believe that Black lives, Black dreams, and Black travel matter. As members of an industry that is supposed to open minds, teach about different cultures, and make dreams come true, we must acknowledge that we cannot fulfill any of those goals without dismantling white supremacy. As Alex Temblador noted, “racism has been built into the travel industry through a lack of equal opportunity, travel technology, poorly designed customs and immigration systems, and ignorance about the experiences of people of color.”
Below are the concrete steps we are taking as a start to our anti-racism plan. These steps focus on three areas – what we will do in our industry, what we will do in our company, and what I will do as an individual. We acknowledge that this will take a lifetime of work, and that this is only a first draft. We will continue to review our plan monthly, so as we learn more, we can do better.
Industry
- Ask partners I work with to share anti-racism and diversity plans. Do not financially support and refer to partners that are not willing to take a stance on anti-racism.
- Request suppliers update marketing materials to include BIPOC. If they don’t, then I won’t utilize the materials with my clients.
- Commit to donating money for scholarships for PoC to learn about and enter the luxury travel industry, so that we can have more PoC in leadership and ownership positions in travel.
Company
- Promote Black-Owned Hotels and Suppliers
- Ensure at least 15% of the freelancers I work with are BIPOC
- At least once a week, share amazing travel content from Black creators
- Ensure my own marketing include BIPOC
Individual
- Donate monthly a minimum of $250 monthly to racial justice organizations led by PoC
- Commit to daily action through Nicole Cardoza’s anti-racism daily
- Unlearn and re-educate myself
- Research Black-owned businesses, and aim to spend at least 15% of our personal shopping on Black-owned businesses. Measure every month so we know when we fall short and need to do better
- Vote
We write these statements as commitments and to be held accountable.
