Breaking Travel News here hears from Jamie-Lee Abtar, multicultural community lead with Women in Travel CIC, about the work that still needs to be done to bring about meaningful change in the travel industry

Earlier this week, Celebrity Cruises launched its all-inclusive photo project, a campaign designed to tackle the lack of diversity in travel marketing by featuring photographs of activists from underrepresented groups and making them available for other travel brands and companies to use.

This is of course an initiative that I wholeheartedly applaud, but the fact that there is still a need, and that this is still an industry news story is indication that we still have a long way to go.

At Women in Travel CIC, improving the lack of diversity in travel marketing is something we have been campaigning towards for a long time, and recently we did our first major piece of research into the heart of the issue.

Together with the University of Surrey School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, we produced the first in-depth analysis of the travel decisions and preferences of British Black, Asian and other ethnic minority travellers in the UK, and to me there was no surprise in the problems it laid bare.

There continues to be a lack of diversity in advertising, and a scarcity of Black and Asian professionals working at senior levels; that concerns for physical safety and worries about racism and discrimination are a key concern for ethnic minority travellers and that British Black and Asian travellers feel unheard and undervalued.

Importantly for travel businesses, the report clearly showed that the industry is missing out on a huge opportunity by overlooking this lucrative market segment.

Ninety-two per cent of British Black and Asian respondents travelled within the UK at least once a year and ninety-nine per cent travelled abroad, compared with eighty-five per cent of white respondents saying they travelled within the UK and seventy-three per cent abroad.

So why is it taking the industry so long to wake up to the commercial value that targeting a broader ethnic mix presents?

Celebrity’s latest campaign is a step in the right direction, but how do we bring about the long-term and meaningful change that is long overdue?

Firstly, we need to educate ourselves.

Our report is available to purchase and download, and the findings will give travel businesses a real insight into the issues at play, and a base point from which to develop strategy - knowledge is power.

Secondly, start with the workforce.

We need to increase the representation of different communities at all levels of in our organisations, but particularly in senior leadership positions.

This in turn will improve understanding of the audiences we are speaking to, and it will do so authentically, filtering naturally through everything we do.

It will reflect much more organically in marketing collateral and messaging, leading to a more genuine connection with the audience.

Also, destinations need to make themselves more welcoming, appealing to Black and Asian travellers both by seriously addressing issues of race-targeted crimes, and by creating experiences that speak to the different groups within these demographics.

There are still many places that Black and Asian travellers will not travel to because they do not feel welcome.

Tougher punishment for race-targeted crimes and broader education around tolerance, culture and community is essential.

The travel industry is not alone in being behind the curve in embracing this opportunity.

While it remains a frustration to me that this is still a conversation in 2022, we’ll keep talking about it until that systemic prejudice has been broken down. And let’s help each other.

The report lays out a range of further recommendations that businesses can start to implement now, so that together we can move this conversation on once and for all.

More Information

Find out more about Women in Travel CIC on the official website.