Diversity
in
the Travel&
Hospitality
Industry
Today’s leaders are creating
cultural itineraries and ensuring trips are accessible to all.
But it’s not only travelers who
benefit. Diversity initiatives
attract more employee and
supplier talent as well.
PHOTODISC IMAGES
Jane Danielson is an avid traveler
and a huge fan of golf. As she
sat on her scooter at the 17th
tee at a PGA tournament in Florida
recently, Danielson, a former teacher
and social worker who developed degenerative arthritis, marveled at the
course’s accessibility for people such
as herself with disabilities. She had
followed Tiger Woods and John Daly
all day long, zooming after the pair
along with the rest of the gallery.
“We’re so thrilled with everything
they’d done at that tournament. They
had accessible, cedar-lined bathrooms where the light went on automatically when you opened the door.
They put in paved, large paths and reserved seating for scooters, wheelchairs and companions. I was able to
get around so easily!” says Danielson, pointing out that even the ATMs
were accessible.
These are just a few ways that the
hospitality and travel industry is rolling out the red carpet for customers
of all colors, ethnicities, sexual preferences, ages and physical abilities.
“Everybody is looking for a competitive edge,” explains Allen Kay, spokesperson for the Travel Industry Associa-
