2023 Travel Unity Summit Caribbean
San Juan, Puerto Rico
October 2 and 3, 2023
What happens at the Summit?
At every Travel Unity Summit, participants come together to tackle how to go beyond words and ideas, moving forward on the real work that it takes to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into strategic planning and implementation.
Who is it for?
Travel Unity Summits are for destination marketers, members of the travel industry interested in learning more about applied DEI, economic development professionals who see the value of tourism, and individuals who want to make sure their communities are welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities.
Schedule
Monday, Oct. 2, 2023
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023
- 8 AM ET – Light Breakfast and Networking
- 9 AM ET – Opening Remarks
- 9:15 AM ET – Case Study: Discover Puerto Rico’s “Live Boricua” Campaign
- 9:45 AM ET – Presentation & Dialogues: Community Engagement
- 11 AM ET – Networking Break
- 11:15 AM ET - Inclusive Caribbean Tours: How to Welcome Everyone
- 12 PM ET - Lunch & Local Presentations
- 1:30 PM ET - Applied DEI Workshop
- 3 PM ET - Networking
Monday, October 2, 2023
11 AM ET – VIRTUAL KICKOFF SESSION
The Future of DEI in Caribbean Tourism (facilitated by Travel Unity and the Caribbean Tourism Organization)
To kick off the 2023 Travel Unity Summit Caribbean, Travel Unity and the Caribbean Tourism Organization will facilitate a virtual space for attendees from the Caribbean and beyond to discuss how the travel industry in the Caribbean can make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) a strategic priority.
Introduction by Roni Weiss (Travel Unity) and Amanda Charles (CTO).
Scheduled Speakers: Brian Major, Jessica van Dop DeJesus, Maureen Wright-Evans, and Omar Evans.
Watch the recap of the session
here,
3 PM ET - Roundtable: Tourism and Community Impact in the Caribbean
Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity, and Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares, co-lead an intimate roundtable covering topics around how the tourism industry in the Caribbean can deepen positive engagement with local communities through community tourism, workforce development, increased local access to tourism products, and more.
ROUNDTABLE DELEGATES INCLUDE:
Roni Weiss (Travel Unity) Greg Takehara (Tourism Cares)
Claire Dunlap (Tour Cayuga) Spyridon Kagkas (This is Athens)
Harry Alvarez (Offbeat Travel) Jasmine Causey (ASTA)
Meg Ten Eyck (EveryQueer) Laura Ortiz (Sofrito Tours)
Carmen Portela (Friends of Joann Diaz (Discover Puerto Rico)
El Yunque)
Michael Lo Presti (Vamonos Milka Rodriguez (Globetrotting
Tours) Dominicana)
Mili Maldonado Agusty (Universidad del Sagrado Corazón)
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
9:45 AM ET - Presentation & Dialogues: Community Engagement
Visit Greater Palm Springs is the recipient of the 2023 CalTravel Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion Award. Todd Burke of Visit Greater Palm Springs and Kimber Foster of Visit Palm Springs will share the strategy that goes into their applied DEI efforts.
Following their presentations, each table will be prompted to have discussions
11:15 AM ET - Inclusive Caribbean Tours: How to Welcome Everyone
Harry Alvarez (Offbeat Travel), Melina Aguilar Colón (Isla Caribe), and Laura Ortiz-Villamil (Sofrito Tours) share their approaches to making sure that people of all backgrounds and abilities can have welcoming and fulfilling experiences on their tours.
Moderated by
Matt Skallerud.
1:30 PM ET - Applied DEI Workshop
Learn about concepts and applications around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), explore concepts around identity and bias, and hear more about how organizations can strategize DEI efforts.
Facilitated by Vandana Agrawal
All engaged workshop attendees will receive a certificate of completion for their participation, along with a toolkit for implementing DEI in their organizations.
Thank you to all members of the 2023 TUS Caribbean Planning Committee!
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