The hospitality industry is about to get graded on how well it is embracing minorities. On Friday, Destinations International, the global association for convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), announced a partnership with the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to development of Black hospitality professionals. The two organizations will collaborate to “educate, uplift and unite the hospitality industry in an equitable way.” Advocacy efforts will use data to speak to the projected disparities within the destination organization ecosystem.
See also: BLM Resources for Meeting Planners
Jason Dunn, NCBMP board chair, called it the first step in the right direction. “We must be bold and innovative to create change.”
Initial projects include:
- Creating, supporting and publishing a annual destination organization report card that measures diversity and inclusion in the broader hospitality industry
- Establishing a five-year partnership that invests in an annual leadership academy focused on an executive leadership track for diverse/Black candidates, to diversify executive level candidates
- Leveraging the partnership to position the “We’re Here to Help Campaign,” to unite the meetings and events industry
- Diversifying and increasing the use of ethnic subject-matter consultants, supported by Destinations International and the NCBMP network
- Developing, implementing and sustaining an advocacy strategy to support the above goals through innovative programming and comprehensive approaches
“Destinations International is committed to listening and engaging in conversations and working with members and partners in our industry to be a catalyst for change,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International.
See also: BLM Action Items for Meeting Planners
“Destinations International has answered the call of helping us point the moral compass of the hospitality ecosystem toward equity and empowerment,” Dunn said. “The foundation of this partnership is cemented in gaining the understanding of where our industry is currently and establishing measurable KPIs in a sustainable way.”
