Travel Unity held its first Caribbean Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico October 2 & 3, 2023. Focused on bringing together travel professionals to learn about and from inclusive tourism practices across the Caribbean, the sold-out event welcomed more than 50 attendees. “People came from many different parts of the world, so I was really impressed with the diversity of the travel companies. I enjoyed learning about specific ideas that people used, and I just really wanted to be exposed to people who were like-minded. Being in this space, what else can I absorb that I can apply to my own company?” said Milka Rodriguez, Founder & CEO of Globetrotting Dominicana. For many attendees, this was their first Travel Unity experience, and they left the Summit highly satisfied. “Prior to today, I really had no idea about DEI. Just breaking it down, seeing what it actually meant, it really made me want to learn more about Travel Unity,” said Lathysha Semper, Owner of Simply Semper Travels. “I love to learn different things, especially when it comes to travel and tourism. ‘Make Travel Welcome to Everyone’ – that’s something I want to do, and I’m going to find out more about Travel Unity’s certification.” Creating Unity with the Local Communities in The Caribbean Through Travel 2023 Travel Unity Summit Caribbean - Group Photo The full-day Day 2 followed Day 1, which was a roundtable on Community Impact related to tourism in the Caribbean, featuring Roni Weiss, of Travel Unity, and Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares. They discussed unique opportunities in the Caribbean on deepening ties with the local communities. Kicking off Day 2 was a highly anticipated case study featuring Discover Puerto Rico’s “Live Boricua” campaign. Discover Puerto Rico staff members Jose Arana, Adriana Rivera, and Glorianna Yamin shared insights on their highly successful campaign from the “why” behind the strategic planning to the “what” of specific marketing elements. Most importantly, they discussed the “who” that guided the campaign. “It is very important to create cultural sustainability – educating people on our traditions and cultures as well as reflecting our people, inclusively. This is for the purpose of everyone, not only our Boricuas, but everyone, to be able to see themselves reflected,” said Rivera. Yamin added, “When you’re here, you’re going to feel like you are family. That’s what we wanted to portray. It’s important we portray the culture, as travelers don’t want to travel for “travel” anymore, they want to leave the place better than they found it.” The “conscientious traveler” and the desire to create experiences that speak to them was a theme heard throughout the day, as well as the importance of being authentic to the various groups in the community. Visit Greater Palm Springs' Presentation The second session was a review of Visit Greater Palm Springs and their award-winning DEI practices. Todd Burke the DMO’s Vice President of Communications, shared how their latest campaign was a reflection of the region’s highly visible LGBTQ+ community. But Burke cautioned that they were aware they had to represent more than one aspect. “We have to balance our outreach, make an effort to reflect all communities in the area. How are we deliberate about telling those stories? We pitch journalists to have a broad approach to coverage of the area, not just the main story.” Burke also emphasized training their whole organization to embed DEI in their foundation, from having a role focused on DEI efforts to the impact Travel Unity had in helping refine processes so that these equitable approaches were part of its institutional memory. Inclusive Caribbean Tours: How Tour Organizers Can Apply DEI The third session was a panel featuring multiple tour organizers who take an inclusive approach for their guests, of all abilities, to enjoy their trips. Moderated by Matt Skallerud, President of Pink Media, panelists Harry Alvarez, of Offbeat Travel, Melina Aguilar Colon, Founder of Isla Caribe, and Laura Ortiz-Villamil, Owner of Sofrito Tours, shared their thoughts and strategies on creating tours for people with disabilities. “I was approached by sign language students who wanted to help translate my existing tours. They wanted to help for free, and I can promote the tours using social media. It’s in a test phase, but most likely, I will have to cap it,” said Aguilar Colon. Ortiz-Villamil revealed that she faced challenges when working with vendors to ensure that the treatment of her guests aligned with her standards. “It can be different with younger generations as they are doing the work to make sure people are comfortable. I do talk with some of my vendors to make sure they are trained and equipped on how to be welcoming to diverse populations.” Alvarez pointed out that in some cases, tour organizers can use the help of local government resources to make their DEI efforts sustainable. The Summit closed with a workshop to introduce how to apply DEI to a travel organization. Facilitated by Vandana Agrawal, a DEI trainer, the session walked through various methods to analyze current efforts and find ways to improve policies regarding employees, practices around visitors and engagement with the local community. Agrawal said it was critical for travel organizations to look at all three elements holistically so they can influence all people their work impacts.