435. Community Conversations on DEAI, with Karen Kuhl, Lauren Sackett, and Roni Weiss

On this special episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Karen Kuhl (Executive Director, Tour Cayuga, NY), Lauren Sackett (CEO, Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce, WI), and Roni Weiss (Executive Director, Travel Unity) all about the nuances of inclusivity in the travel and tourism industry. We discuss how destinations can actively create environments where every traveler and resident feels a sense of belonging. Discover the landscape of DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion) and gain practical advice on how to make tourism more accessible and authentic.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Implementing DEAI initiatives in rural and small-town tourism communities, and the impact these efforts have on both residents and visitors
• Why transparency, community input, and vulnerability are critical in making a destination truly welcoming for all, not just in intention but in actionable practice
• What social impact means through a tourism lens, and how prioritizing inclusivity supports both the local community and the visitor experience
• How organizations can start with small, meaningful steps—such as improving website accessibility or forming advisory groups—to advance DEAI practices, even with limited resources and staffing
• What practical strategies destinations can use to measure the success and ROI of their inclusion initiatives
• How empathy, humility, and realistic goal-setting play a fundamental role in sustaining progress on DEAI efforts, even when facing criticism or limited momentum

Shifting from Intentions to Actions

Travel professionals often assume they are, by default, welcoming, but wanting to welcome everyone and actually creating a place where everyone feels welcome are two very different things. My guests emphasize that building an authentically inclusive environment requires deep listening, transparency, and sometimes vulnerability.

Roni Weiss outlined Travel Unity’s perspective, explaining that inclusion isn’t just aspirational—it’s measurable. He described public standards focusing on three levels: leadership and workforce, community engagement, and the traveler’s experience. The overarching message? DEAI isn’t merely about not excluding—it’s proactive work that touches every level of an organization.

Social Impact Beyond the Tourist

While tourism is often measured by economic indicators, genuine social impact weaves together the needs of visitors and residents alike. Karen Kuhl stressed that her work in Cayuga County, home to Harriet Tubman’s legacy, is community-centric: tourism isn’t just for visitors, after all, but for all the residents who live in a destination too. DEAI initiatives must ripple inward before they shine outward.

Working in rural northern Wisconsin, Lauren Sackett shared that enhancing accessibility, like mapping out trail accessibility and filtering for diverse-owned businesses, is as much about serving aging and differently abled residents as it is about attracting new visitor demographics. Tourism isn’t just about bringing travelers in; it’s about the community as a whole.

Practical Steps for Small Towns and Rural Destinations

Even if you’re a limited-budget organization, you can meaningfully implement DEAI. My guests’ advice is to start small, but start now. Identify community values, tap into available grants, and build from within—embedding inclusive principles into staff roles, outreach, and even RFPs for outside vendors.

DEAI principles should be everybody’s work and on everybody’s task list, which is why advisory boards are a resourceful way to bring diverse voices into decision-making without overhauling governance structures.

Authentic inclusion is a journey, not a checkbox. Be humble, honest, kind, and patient, my guests recommend leading with empathy and listening to those with lived experience.

Resources:

• Karen Kuhl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kuhl/
• Lauren Sackett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-sackett-iom-b2a5a59a/
• Roni Weiss: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roniweiss/

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