Beyond JDEI hashtags and campaigns, the travel and tourism industry still has a long way to go in becoming a truly just, diverse, equitable and inclusive space for travelers and workers of various backgrounds. In this panel, we are highlighting examples and insights on meaningful actions that tourism organizations can take to increase representation of diverse perspectives and experiences.

For organizations (such as tourism businesses), the concept of resilience is a key part of what makes them stronger, and better prepared to respond to and recover from shocks (including - but NOT limited to - the COVID19 pandemic). To become resilient, businesses need both good planning and operational approaches ("hard factors"), and good people and relationship management approaches ("soft factors").

We’ve asked industry trailblazers and change makers to share their own experiences, highlighting concrete examples of how tourism can be a positive force for local communities. These examples and stories serve as important reminders of the potential that tourism has to transform communities for better, and of our collective responsibility to use that power wisely.