The Black Travel Alliance Calls for Diversity in Travel

The Black Travel Alliance, a newly formed group of Black Travel Content Creators, is calling on destination management organizations (DMOs) like Visit Jackson to take #BlackOutTuesday support beyond social media and work toward meaningful representation of Black voices in the travel industry.

More than a mere black square on social media, the alliance believes sharing data points in several key areas will demonstrate true allyship, and that these areas are key towards ending the systemic lack of diversity in the travel industry.

To that end, Visit Jackson is proud to report metrics in four key areas:

• Employment – Current number and percentage of Black management: 4 of 7 – 57%; Total percentage of Black employees: 14 of 23 – 61%.

• Conferences & Tradeshows – Black representation in number and percentage on speaker panels, workshops, and in sessions in 2019 (first-ever Mayor’s Conference on Tourism): 6 of 15 – 40%

• Paid Advertising/Marketing Campaigns – Black representation as a percentage in TV, radio, print and digital channels including social media in 2019: Marketing Campaigns – 51%

• Press and FAM representation: in number and percentage – 38 of 49 – 78%