The ways in which racial inclusivity can be increased within the tourism industry.
Author: Phoebe Lindquist
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Abstract:
This paper aims to raise awareness on how the tourist industry benefits from the influence of difference, with ethnic diversity playing a vital role in the appeal of some places. The practice of tourism has been influenced by racial classifications, which affect who may travel, how they can travel, and where they can travel. Both consciously and unintentionally, racism has been ingrained in the tourism business, as it has in numerous other areas of society.
Keywords: Race, racism, harassment, social justice promotion, inclusivity
Racism is a concept used to describe bias, discrimination, and harassment that is directed against a person or persons based on who they are or whom someone believes they are based on their race, ethnicity, nationality, or colour. It comprises things that have been placed online and incidents that involve either people or property.
According to Mzezewa (2021), after a year of social justice rallies, tourists, especially Black tourists, pay close attention to how destinations and travel service companies embrace diversity and fairness. It is emphasised that the past couple of years have been some of reckoning for the tourist industry on matters of racism and diversity, between the Covid-19 outbreak, which brought tourism to a near standstill for months on end, and the previous summer's protests for social justice. A Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Mr Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while he informed them, "I cannot breathe." Mr Floyd was an unarmed black man who died as a result. After being released from prison, he relocated to Minneapolis and established a reputation as a "gentle giant", attempting to rebuild his life.
As a result of this, people and tourists were horrified at the horrendous and unjust treatment of George Floyd. Everyone, even hotel owners and bag manufacturers, vowed allegiance to the demonstrators. Fewer individuals were travelling at the time, making Instagram photos and diversification promises simple. However, when travel resumes, it is becoming more urgent to determine how much it has altered.
Black people are demonstrated to be under more pressure to think carefully about their travel destinations no matter where they decide to board a plane. Due to the universality of racism and anti-Blackness, Black people encounter prejudice, hostility, and violence everywhere they go. Additionally, the vulnerability that comes with travel—the strange environments, diverse languages, and distance from your support networks—can amplify the effects of racial prejudice. It has also been discovered that Black people must plan their vacations far more carefully than White people, stay away from specific regions and nations, and travel less frequently than other ethnic groups. When travelling to unknown locations, African Americans frequently experienced humiliating and life-threatening racist maltreatment by White-owned tourism firms.
It can be noted that the tourism industry, both inside and outside the United States, has traditionally adopted a white male gaze that obscures the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities while also perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Different forms of tourism are more or less connected to racial dynamics. Race and gender relations have a significant role in working with the sex tourism sector, according to a prominent theme in sex tourism research. Sex workers are typically racially judged and come from the periphery of the global economy, whereas sex tourists are typically white and more affluent. Human trafficking's contribution to the tourism sector is also emphasised in the sex tourism literature, underlining a crucial aspect of transnational tourist studies (Jamerson, 2016).
The local economic and racial dynamics in each situation influence the discursive movement away from race and towards a different conception of racial difference, the one in which a "locus of value" can be realised. Following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans made an effort to rebuild its reputation as a top-notch historical, culinary, and cultural centre as well as the birthplace of jazz and its links with Blackness. Since Katrina, efforts have been made to strengthen the New Orleans brand's tourism business. As a result, locals have been subtly urged to internalise the brand, frequently to their harm and dismay. Race-based tourism in New Orleans is centred on ideas like music, history, culture, and post-Katrina, as well as a debate on "branding."
In order to make tourism more racially inclusive, we must foster an environment where individuals value diversity and inclusion and understand its importance to a successful organisation. If the travel workplace is to fully reap the rewards of having a truly diverse and inclusive culture, there is still work to be done. Diversity must become less of a fad and more integrated into corporate strategy. By developing a staff, leadership, and culture that reflect and comprehend the people you serve in all their diversity, travel brands have the chance to connect with their customers truly.
By promoting fairness and social justice, tourism can act as a catalyst for long-term neighbourhood growth. This occurs when tourists participate in development projects with residents, go on pilgrimages that strengthen ethnic identity, learn about marginalised groups through educational tourism, or come across stories that alter their perception of social injustice and inspire further action to lessen inequities. In addition, tourism planning can foster a sense of rapprochement when it brings together historically estranged communities. (Chio et al., 2020)
In conclusion, we need to examine how we encourage equal representation in conservation, sustainability, and travel more actively. Any discrimination, whether unconscious or intentional, that is encountered in the course of daily jobs should be checked for and challenged. A discussion on how workplaces can work as a team and organisations can be more inclusive and encourage diversity in an open and ongoing manner.
References:
Chio, J., Gill, T., Gonzalez, V.V., Harp, S.L., McDonald, K., Rosenbaum, A.T., Rugh, S.S. and Thomas, L.L. (2020). Discussion: tourism and race. Journal of Tourism History, 12(2), pp.173–197. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182x.2020.1756465.
Jamerson, W.T. (2016). Race and critical tourism studies: An analytical literature review. Sociology Compass, 10(11), pp.1038–1045. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12418.
Mzezewa, T. (2021). The Travel Industry’s Reckoning With Race and Inclusion. The New York Times. [online] 27 Jul. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/travel/black-travelers-diversity-inclusion.html. [Accessed 14 May 2023]
This paper aims to raise awareness on how the tourist industry benefits from the influence of difference, with ethnic diversity playing a vital role in the appeal of some places. The practice of tourism has been influenced by racial classifications, which affect who may travel, how they can travel, and where they can travel. Both consciously and unintentionally, racism has been ingrained in the tourism business, as it has in numerous other areas of society.
Keywords: Race, racism, harassment, social justice promotion, inclusivity
Racism is a concept used to describe bias, discrimination, and harassment that is directed against a person or persons based on who they are or whom someone believes they are based on their race, ethnicity, nationality, or colour. It comprises things that have been placed online and incidents that involve either people or property.
According to Mzezewa (2021), after a year of social justice rallies, tourists, especially Black tourists, pay close attention to how destinations and travel service companies embrace diversity and fairness. It is emphasised that the past couple of years have been some of reckoning for the tourist industry on matters of racism and diversity, between the Covid-19 outbreak, which brought tourism to a near standstill for months on end, and the previous summer's protests for social justice. A Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Mr Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while he informed them, "I cannot breathe." Mr Floyd was an unarmed black man who died as a result. After being released from prison, he relocated to Minneapolis and established a reputation as a "gentle giant", attempting to rebuild his life.
As a result of this, people and tourists were horrified at the horrendous and unjust treatment of George Floyd. Everyone, even hotel owners and bag manufacturers, vowed allegiance to the demonstrators. Fewer individuals were travelling at the time, making Instagram photos and diversification promises simple. However, when travel resumes, it is becoming more urgent to determine how much it has altered.
Black people are demonstrated to be under more pressure to think carefully about their travel destinations no matter where they decide to board a plane. Due to the universality of racism and anti-Blackness, Black people encounter prejudice, hostility, and violence everywhere they go. Additionally, the vulnerability that comes with travel—the strange environments, diverse languages, and distance from your support networks—can amplify the effects of racial prejudice. It has also been discovered that Black people must plan their vacations far more carefully than White people, stay away from specific regions and nations, and travel less frequently than other ethnic groups. When travelling to unknown locations, African Americans frequently experienced humiliating and life-threatening racist maltreatment by White-owned tourism firms.
It can be noted that the tourism industry, both inside and outside the United States, has traditionally adopted a white male gaze that obscures the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities while also perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Different forms of tourism are more or less connected to racial dynamics. Race and gender relations have a significant role in working with the sex tourism sector, according to a prominent theme in sex tourism research. Sex workers are typically racially judged and come from the periphery of the global economy, whereas sex tourists are typically white and more affluent. Human trafficking's contribution to the tourism sector is also emphasised in the sex tourism literature, underlining a crucial aspect of transnational tourist studies (Jamerson, 2016).
The local economic and racial dynamics in each situation influence the discursive movement away from race and towards a different conception of racial difference, the one in which a "locus of value" can be realised. Following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans made an effort to rebuild its reputation as a top-notch historical, culinary, and cultural centre as well as the birthplace of jazz and its links with Blackness. Since Katrina, efforts have been made to strengthen the New Orleans brand's tourism business. As a result, locals have been subtly urged to internalise the brand, frequently to their harm and dismay. Race-based tourism in New Orleans is centred on ideas like music, history, culture, and post-Katrina, as well as a debate on "branding."
In order to make tourism more racially inclusive, we must foster an environment where individuals value diversity and inclusion and understand its importance to a successful organisation. If the travel workplace is to fully reap the rewards of having a truly diverse and inclusive culture, there is still work to be done. Diversity must become less of a fad and more integrated into corporate strategy. By developing a staff, leadership, and culture that reflect and comprehend the people you serve in all their diversity, travel brands have the chance to connect with their customers truly.
By promoting fairness and social justice, tourism can act as a catalyst for long-term neighbourhood growth. This occurs when tourists participate in development projects with residents, go on pilgrimages that strengthen ethnic identity, learn about marginalised groups through educational tourism, or come across stories that alter their perception of social injustice and inspire further action to lessen inequities. In addition, tourism planning can foster a sense of rapprochement when it brings together historically estranged communities. (Chio et al., 2020)
In conclusion, we need to examine how we encourage equal representation in conservation, sustainability, and travel more actively. Any discrimination, whether unconscious or intentional, that is encountered in the course of daily jobs should be checked for and challenged. A discussion on how workplaces can work as a team and organisations can be more inclusive and encourage diversity in an open and ongoing manner.
References:
Chio, J., Gill, T., Gonzalez, V.V., Harp, S.L., McDonald, K., Rosenbaum, A.T., Rugh, S.S. and Thomas, L.L. (2020). Discussion: tourism and race. Journal of Tourism History, 12(2), pp.173–197. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182x.2020.1756465.
Jamerson, W.T. (2016). Race and critical tourism studies: An analytical literature review. Sociology Compass, 10(11), pp.1038–1045. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12418.
Mzezewa, T. (2021). The Travel Industry’s Reckoning With Race and Inclusion. The New York Times. [online] 27 Jul. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/travel/black-travelers-diversity-inclusion.html. [Accessed 14 May 2023]