Destination On The Left

Introduced to the industry by a random internship application to Visit Baltimore, Andreas Weissenborn began an unexpected career that left him with a continued passion for tourism. He is currently the Vice President of Research and Advocacy for Destinations International, and he leads the research and advocacy efforts of the entire organization with an eye toward developing data-driven tools to help destinations around the world tell their story. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Andreas Weissenborn shares his philosophy that DMOS are caretakers of the data and information on the visitor economy. He also dives into why tourism has become a community shared value and explains why DMOs should view their role as serving the people of their communities as a central priority. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Andreas shares a little about himself and the story of how he became interested in destination marketing Andreas' early role in information technology and database management and how that has an impact on his current work at Destinations International How DMOs can be the primary steward of data for their community What it means to be a community shared value, what Andreas' vision for Destinations International was, and how the pandemic accelerated the concept The importance of lexicon in how we describe things, why we need to change how we talk about ourselves to reframe our thinking around the role of the DMO Why leading with emotion rather than facts and figures is critical Where Andreas sees our most significant opportunities as destination marketing organizations in the post-pandemic world Making Data Meaningful The fundamental definition of effective research and analytics is taking massive swathes of data and making it comprehensible, easily understood, and applicable. Andreas shares his experience of working at Visit Baltimore and why he feels it was the start of the golden era of data analytics for Destination Marketing Organizations. He dives into why it is so critical to have individuals in the travel and tourism space who can help diagnose, dissect, and explain what this data does. That ability to translate bookings, data, or visitor spending into understandable information that is meaningful to stakeholders was where Andreas found his niche in the industry. And those skills still feed into the broader and greater mission of Destination Marketing Organisations. DMOs are Vital to the Community Destination Marketing Organizations are the stewards of the visitor economy, but they also serve their community. This is why it's so important to change how DMOs talk about themselves and how they get involved. Destination organizations are the most uniquely qualified entity for the next normal in representing a brand because the brand transcends the physical and virtual realm. DMOs are uniquely qualified because they're the only entity that can sit at the table with civic, social, cultural, and historical entities and bring everyone together. Next Steps for DMOs According to Andreas, destinations can take some tangible next steps to be successful. DMOs are often the most influential voice of a brand because of the reach of their website and their social media channels. They need a mission or a vision statement that reads in an emotional, storied way so visitors don't have to question who and what you are. DMOs also need to teach, train and advocate not only their entire staff but their entire membership so that everyone understands the value proposition and the work they do and is clear on why tourism matters for the community. Resources: Website: https://destinationsinternational.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-weissenborn/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/destintl/ Community Shared Value | Destinations International The Tourism Lexicon | Destinations International Why We Need a Destination Promotion Community Measurement | Destinations International We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Big-picture and detail-oriented, Debbie is a marketing communications specialist who has worked in digital marketing, content development, and social media for over 15 years. A motivated digital marketer, she brings a unique perspective from her brand, agency, and consulting experience. Debbie debuted Social Hospitality as a side project in 2011 before transitioning to the brand full-time in 2017. As founder and president of Social Hospitality, Debbie leads the operational side of the business while working directly with clients to build and execute marketing strategies. Social Hospitality is a boutique digital marketing agency that helps brands develop their online identities, create engaging content, and build their social media presence. The Social Hospitality blog is a leading industry resource, too. Debbie has an English degree from UC Irvine and is HubSpot certified in social media and content marketing. She has been invited to speak at events like Social Tools Summit, PubCon, IABC, as well as various universities and other local organizations. She has been quoted in publications including USA Today, Inc., Forbes, Huffington Post, Social Media Today, Search Engine Journal, Todays Hotelier, Business2Community, SEMrush, and more. Debbie is a lover of good eats and is always adventuring, traveling, learning, and spoiling her two dogs. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Debbie about how her boutique destination marketing business Social Hospitality helps clients stand out from the crowd online. She also shares strategies for finding where your customers are online and the importance of understanding and being ready to respond to the changing algorithms of different social media platforms. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How Debbie moved from being an English Major in college to running her own marketing agency Why Debbie loves the collaborative nature of working in destination marketing Current social media trends and some of the new strategies Debbie is recommending to her clients Creativity in the face of adversity and how Debbie has found unusual solutions to recent challenges Debbie shares the many benefits of coopetition and gives examples of coopetition she has experienced and the positive outcomes that came from that Debbie shares her insights and advice for listeners planning a collaboration and explains what she does to set her up for success Where you can connect with Debbie online Standing Out Online In terms of differentiating yourself as a business from the crowd knowing your audience is key. On the show, Debbie describes why you need to look at where your audience hangs out online, and if you're not on a specific channel, but your competition is — you might need to make some changes. Lean into the initial heavy lifting and research and figure out where your audience spends their time and where your competitors spend their time and make sure you're there too. Then you can create those conversations and the stories around what makes you distinct from those competitors. Finding Your Ideal Customer As a hospitality business, or any type of organization in the travel, tourism, or hospitality space, we need to get really focused in on who we're targeting. Because if we don't know who our ideal customer is, we're not going to be effective. Marketers need to tailor strategies to their ideal audience, and one of the ways that you can maximize your chances of developing a great strategy is to do your homework. Debbie also describes how she uses carefully honed strategies to take advantage of current trends in social media, such as Instagram's promotion of the Reels feature. Strategies for Effective Collaboration In the destination marketing space, there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration which are win-win situations. Debbie shares some of the partnerships she is currently involved in and how she has built a network that thrives on supporting one another. She discusses the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats and gives her advice on best practices for planning an effective and mutually beneficial collaboration. Resources: Website: https://socialhospitality.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemiller53/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebigdebowski We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Penny Peters is a member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. She is the Manager at Akwesasne Travel. Penny has been an integral part of the establishment of Akwesasne Travel and furthering the development of the tourism industry in Akwesasne. Penny is currently working to promote Akwesasne Travel through marketing, partnerships, and awareness of indigenous culture. Penny has strong ties to the community, the environment, and traditional ways. Penny believes that indigenous tourism is not only a means of economic growth for communities but also crucial for cultural preservation. In 2021 Penny was elected to the NYSTIA Board and was excited to represent NY Tourism and the North Country. She has also been advocating for Indigenous tourism, especially within NY State. She hopes to help support indigenous businesses to create mutually beneficial partnerships with non-native entities to grow and strengthen the industry. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Penny Peters about the process of developing tourism for her indigenous nation and the challenges they have faced along the journey. We discuss the tours that Akwesasne Travel has designed, their plans for marketing those programs, and the partnerships they've developed. Penny also shares the details of the tour planning process and why it was so important to ensure that her community approved every aspect. What You Will Learn in this Episode: The unique nature of the Akwesasne nation and the areas their land encompasses in New York State and across into Canada. How Penny and her colleagues are approaching tourism and the experience they hope to deliver Their focus on community artisans and how they market those small-group tours What Penny learned from other travel consultants and how she applied that knowledge to her indigenous community, taking into consideration their particular customs and needs How Akwesasne Travel got creative about what they could offer and some of their current tours Challenges that Penny and her colleagues faced in developing the tourism industry in their nation, particularly the issues around crossing the U.S / Canadian border during the COVID-19 pandemic Some of the partnerships they developed to circumnavigate problems and increase their offering Collaborations that have worked well for Akwesasne Travel and that are that they are planning to develop in the future The importance of recognizing that although you may have a plan or guideposts, sometimes you have to pivot to be successful and achieve your goals Penny's advice for others who may be starting down the path of tourism development. Developing Tourism for an Indigenous Nation There can be some unexpected challenges around developing a tourist offering as a native community, and one of those things is educating consultants and partners. There can be challenges in connecting with regional tourism offices because of the unique situation of the native people. On the podcast, Penny shares her firm belief that it is vital to keep an open mind and keep having conversations with potential partners. We also discuss the necessity of planning and preparing to develop as a tourist region and why it's so important to be able to flex when the situation changes. Akwesasne Travel's Creative Offerings Penny describes how they began to develop tours in their region, kicking off by getting out in the community, sharing their plans, and asking for feedback on where they wanted visitors to go and what they wanted to share about their culture. She describes one of their first community initiatives set up at a powwow and where they invited local artisans to start collaborating to build a large traditionally woven basket, and how that gave Penny and her team an opening to talk about their plans to bring tourists to the area and share how it would help the local economy to grow. Collaborations and Partnerships Working with other organizations is central to how Akwesasne Travel works — they have recently participated in a reenactment event set in 1784 arranged by a local museum on the Canadian side of the nation to share what life looked like at that time. On the U.S. side, they have a longstanding collaboration in place with the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, which they are planning to expand even further. The Akwesasne nation also shares and collaborates with other indigenous nations to allow visitors an insight into their cultures. Resources: Website: https://akwesasne.travel/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Akwesasnetravel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akwesasnetravel/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Brand Strategist & Business Growth Accelerator Karley Cunningham takes businesses from overcrowded, competitive spaces out into blue ocean territory where they can confidently stand out and thrive as brand leaders in their sector. Companies that want to be distinct in their marketplace retain Karley to sharpen their positioning and differentiation strategies to cut through the noise. Karley's international client-base benefits from accelerated growth, increased profit, and stability as her innovative Surefire Method™ provides them with a sure-fire strategy and toolkit that enables them to charge a premium, attract and retain ideal clients, develop a great company culture, and outpace their competitors. Having built three successful businesses, Karley knows what it takes to start, develop and lead a company that delivers results. Her entrepreneurial success story is featured in the awarded book: The Widest Net by Pamela Slim. In addition, she's a sought-after mentor and speaker for national and international business organizations and the host of The Made Possible Podcast. Believing deeply in the practice of givers gain, she is well-known and networked and rarely goes a day without making a referral or connection. As a former pro athlete, Karley is performance-driven. An avid mountain athlete, she is a two-time finisher of the BC Bike Race, a seven-day, 325 km mountain bike stage race, and is always looking out for her next trail running adventure. When not focusing on the business or expanding her network, she can be found somewhere in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her wife and dog in their 4×4. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Karley Cunningham about how branding can help a destination, attraction, or business in the tourism industry stand out from the crowd. Karley breaks creating your brand down into three simple sections — uncovering our fundamental beliefs, understanding the markets we serve, and showcasing our differentiators. What You Will Learn in this Episode: When Karly became interested in marketing and communications The importance of resonating with your audience How her background as a competitive athlete has impacted her career in branding Why a tighter box often enhances creativity The importance of inner reflection when drilling down into your brand story Why a 3-5 year time period helps you set an achievable strategic plan and vision What 'the people become the place' means for destination marketers How your branding can help solve the retention and recruitment problem Creativity in Branding As creatives, we constantly push the boundaries, but when the boundaries shrink, we're forced to think more creatively than ever about the challenges we face. When defining their brand destinations, services, and businesses need to reflect on their 'why' to pin down what makes them unique. Karley joins us on the podcast to discuss how to peel back the layers to understand what's different about your offering because amazing branding is about the nuances. She describes the process as going fishing — if you drop the line and then go deeper and deeper and deeper, you'll eventually hook on to something special. Authenticity in Your Brand Story Karley explores why it's essential to start from the inside out when developing your brand. She shares her insights on why it's all about being authentic as people when you're creating a company brand. Karley also discusses how she helps businesses who have moved away from their true purpose to pivot back to their axis and reinvigorate them. When your brand story comes from the inside out and is genuinely driven by your purpose, who you are, the things that resonate with you, and how you show up in the world, it creates an innate sense of alignment and power. Recruitment and Retention in the Travel Industry Recruiting and retaining employees is a huge struggle in the travel and tourism industry right now. Karley gives her perspective on whether the current staffing challenges relate to how valued and cared for people felt before the pandemic and how that relates to standing behind your brand values. On the show, we discuss how to solve the problem of recruitment and retention, and Karley gives her advice on how branding can help businesses in that regard. She shares how your brand ties into your promise to your staff in terms of supporting them in their everyday roles and challenging situations. Karley outlines why the key question in reframing the retention issues is, are you willing to deliver your staff the quality that you deliver your guests or service users? Resources: Website: https://www.bigboldbrand.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karleycunningham/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrandMaven Downloadable Surefire Audit: https://www.bigboldbrand.com/surefireaudit/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Sophia Hyder Hock is the Chief Diversity Officer for Destinations International. In this role, Sophia provides thought leadership and strategic direction for designing and implementing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) resources, tools, and services for association members and the broader tourism industry. Sophia has created sustainable social inclusion frameworks for over 20 years. Prior to joining Destinations International, she was the Founder and CEO of Papilia, an organization dedicated to developing tailored EDI strategies, training, and coaching services for the travel industry. She has extensive experience as an international development practitioner working around the world on economic development, gender empowerment, and workforce development projects. Sophia is on the Board of the Center for Responsible Tourism (CREST). She is a yoga and meditation instructor and has written for numerous travel publications about diverse representation, family travel, and wellness. Her love for travel started at the age of 10 when she moved from California to Sri Lanka. Since then, Sophia has been to 40+ countries and plans to inspire her toddler to be a citizen of the world through mindful travel and learning about his Bengali-American heritage. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Sophia Hyder Park, Chief Diversity Officer for Destinations International. Sophia shares how her work in international development led to her current role in the travel and tourism industry, and her insights make Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion approachable, doable, and human. We discuss how organizations can get started with EDI, including taking the key step of understanding your foundation, being curious, and creating spaces of welcoming and belonging within our destinations. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why Sophia is passionate about policy development, design, and creating connections The concept of embedding departmental verticals, what Sophia has already started to do at Destinations International, and her tips for what listeners might do to embed DEI into the culture of their organizations Key pieces of advice for listeners starting out on their diversity, equity, and inclusion journey Why it's so important to create spaces of welcoming and belonging in the travel industry Addressing the challenges of balancing policy with successful delivery of DEI Some things we can do to be sensitive to different cultures in the travel and tourism context Destinations International's new EDI assessment tool and how it can help travel and tourism professionals Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sophia discusses her vision of coming at DEI as being a three-part series. She shares why it is critical first to assess internal systems to ensure that a business is strong internally from an EDI perspective. The second part of the series is embedding DEI into the departmental verticals, and the third piece is fostering engagement from membership and partners. Holding one another accountable is an important aspect of DEI, which is why Sophia is currently working with Destinations International's members on first understanding, then collecting best practices and case studies. This initial work will provide her with the information she needs in order to create the resources and services their members are looking for. Building a Strong Foundation Sophia describes how she embeds thought leadership into her professional mindset and why in building a strong foundation, we have to both reflect on our own behavior and the behavior of our organization. Your ethos then inspires your audience. As organizations in the travel and tourism industry, we should be trying to get a broader understanding of who's missing and defining how we can be more inclusive. Sophia also notes the importance of building trust and acting with intentionality to authentically collaborate and engage. Keeping an Open Mind Awareness and curiosity are the keys to embracing the many different cultural nuances that exist, not only in the United States but internationally. To incorporate the principles of DEI, we need to do some homework to understand the cultural history of a place. Part of our responsibility is to listen and seek ways to connect with other humans. Resources: Website: destinationsinternational.org and https://www.sophiahyder.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiahyder/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PapiliaLuxe We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Hannah DeMaio is the Vice President of Brand Strategy of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, the sister community to Women in Retail Leadership Circle. Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is a unique, members-only networking group that offers executive women in the travel and hospitality industry a place to learn, connect, and grow through an unparalleled mix of events, content, and elite connections. The community is comprised of successful and motivated women across the entire travel and hospitality ecosystem who have a strong belief that investing in themselves and other women is good business. She is passionate about the travel and hospitality industry and uniting, inspiring, motivating, and empowering women to succeed personally and professionally. In her free time, Hannah loves traveling, playing tennis, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family and dog, Lulu! On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Hannah DeMaio all about the personal and professional development of women leaders in the travel, hospitality, and retail industries. She shared her findings that although women hold around 80% of the managerial roles in travel and hospitality businesses, they only make up 20% of the workforce at the director level, and that number drops even further when you get up to the C Suite. Hannah discusses why she is so inspired to champion all the incredible women in the travel and tourism space and empower them to get them to go as far as they want to in their careers. What You Will Learn in this Episode: The details of the new organization Women Leading Travel and Hospitality The synergies between the Women in Retail and the Women in Travel and Hospitality brands How Hannah is hoping to lift women up and the early work she is doing to get more women into the C Suite in the travel and tourism business The role that DEI has played in the programing of Women Leading Travel and Hospitality What the organization has planned for this year, and how women in the industry can join the organization or attend events Examples of collaboration that have been successful for Hannah including Women Leading Travel and Hospitality's partnership with Southwest and the Ritz How they are helping women attain personal growth as well as professional growth Women's Leadership and Growth Hannah describes the organization's initial pivot in the face of COVID-19 and why they decided to focus their efforts on supporting women to lead effectively through the crisis. Their programming included keeping your teams motivated, how to get through the furlough period, and crucially how to stay connected with your teams when working virtually. Women Leading Travel and Hospitality initially launched virtual events and instigated weekly peer group calls to build a strong community. When the organization officially launched in January 2021, they continued with virtual and in-person events discussing some of the problems women in the travel and tourism industry are having, how to fix them, and how to grow. DEI in the Travel and Tourism Industry Women Leading Travel and Hospitality want to emphasize that they are a group for everyone. The travel and hospitality space often feels like a male-dominated space, and as part of their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, they work towards making both their speakers and their audience diverse. There is a lot of work to be done in the travel and hospitality space in regard to DEI and Women Leading Travel and Hospitality have recently appointed a Head of Diversity onto their advisory board to ensure they continue moving in the right direction. Personal and Professional Development On a professional level having those hard conversations about how women can move from the managerial level to director level by having the help and support of mentors is incredibly useful. But Hannah and her organization are also bringing in the personal growth aspect too. You have to be on top of both the personal and the professional to be a well-balanced leader. Hannah describes why their programming includes wellness advice in addition to career coaching and how bringing the two together impacts women's work-life harmony. Resources: Website: https://womenleadingtravelandhospitality.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-demaio-445a9962/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-leading-travel-hospitality/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

In the final episode of the Travel Unity Summit, we ask seven leaders in the travel and tourism industry to share their thoughts on how the travel industry can make an impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the travel and tourism space. We're hearing so many amazing and enlightening conversations going on around us from a wide range of travel professionals who are doing some deep dives on DEI and why it's vital to our industry. On this show, our guests share with Rhonda their thoughts on the importance of community engagement in DEI. They discuss how authentic DEI messaging runs through the art of a community and acts as a visual reminder that many individuals and cultures make up a community. Our guests also share their experiences of bridging gaps in diverse communities and why data plays such a critical role in DEI. Melissa Cherry, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Miles Partnership Renee Areng, Executive Director and CEO at Explore Brookhaven Rich Kenah, CEO of Atlanta Track Club Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity Sherilyn Fortson, Economic Development Director for the City of Brookhaven Wes Espinosa, Director of Development and Partnerships for the Center for Responsible Travel Zoe Moore, Hospitality Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Consultant for Moore Consulting Agency Enlightening Conversations from the Travel Unity Roadshow We welcome seven inspirational guests onto the podcast to dig into what steps their organization is taking to make an impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Travel Unity Summit has brought together a diverse range of travel professionals who are all committed to acting to incorporate the principles into their businesses and communities. Melissa Cherry, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Miles Partnership We can make an impact on DEI in the travel industry when we're dedicated to making a difference long term. Melissa describes why we should focus on moving forward through authentic community engagement as an industry. You have to truly evolve accessibility, fully commit to it, and live and breathe it operationally to get to a place where your destination or organization is truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive for residents and visitors alike. Renee Areng, Executive Director and CEO at Explore Brookhaven Renee explains why the Travel Unity Summit is an excellent place for individuals in the travel and tourism industry to learn what's working in other destinations to put their own spin on DEI strategies and apply them in their own backyard. She shares why recognizing the historical impacts of all cultures and races in our destinations allows you to tell the authentic story of a destination. Renee also highlights the work Explore Brookhaven has been doing with local artists in their destination to showcase how the visual arts can help diversity messaging and engage visitors. Rich Kenah, CEO of Atlanta Track Club Rich Kenah explains why Atlanta Track Club looks at DEI from both internal and external perspectives. They are committed to impacting health and wellness through running and walking and believe that the only way they will achieve their vision is if they are universally accessible. He describes their recent internal DEI audit and subsequent six-month series of educational sessions on the topic of DEI for staff and how those team activities help them to deliver accessible community-facing activities. Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity The travel industry can make an impact on DEI by being more thoughtful and deliberate about the work they do, according to Roni. He describes why we need to go beyond hope without action by doing the strategic planning that enables organizations to effect real change. Roni also explains why you have to make decisions based on your goals for change, pivot into a position where you're aligning with those goals, and be specific about how you're going to achieve them. Sherilyn Fortson, Economic Development Director for the City of Brookhaven Sherilyn describes what her team did when they recognized that they didn't have sufficient synergy or collaboration with their highest minority demographic, the Hispanic community. She shares the steps they took to connect with local organizations, put forward partnership opportunities, and above all, listen so that they could bridge the gap between city government and minority communities. Wes Espinosa, Director of Development and Partnerships for the Center for Responsible Travel Wes shares the numerous steps the Center for Responsible Travel is taking to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to their organization. He gives a brief overview of why they are hyper-focused on interdisciplinary applied research, which they make free and accessible to all. He also shares why they are currently diving deep into the concept of destination stewardship — managing rather than just marketing it — and how to make it a collective action that gives stakeholders from all sectors of society a seat at the table. Zoe Moore, Hospitality Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Consultant for Moore Consulting Agency From Zoe's perspective, as an industry, our impact comes as being the thought leaders in DEI, not only because what we do is so visible, but because we are a microcosm of society in many ways. The travel industry should be leading by example and using all the available data to pin down who we're serving as an organization so we can provide better service across all social identities. Thank you so much for listening to the third episode of our special three-part series from the Travel Unity Summit. A key lesson that has come out of discussions is the need to build relationships and establish trust in communities so we can bridge the gaps in DEI. We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

In the second of our three-part series from the Travel Unity Roadshow, we ask our seven guests to share their thoughts on how the travel industry can make an impact via the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Rhonda's conversations with all of these leaders in our industry were truly fascinating, and we're excited to share them with you. Highlights of this episode include why we should see tour guides for the storytellers they are and how their unique position allows them to be at the forefront of DEI education by expanding the viewpoints in the stories they tell about the destinations that they visit. Our guests also discuss the importance of emphasizing the principles of DEI to young people and college students and why they should be woven into every aspect of a destination. David Naczycz, owner of WeVenture Dustin Woerhmann, President and Creative Director of Communify Elijah Washington, Youth and Collegiate Programs Director at Travel Unity Greg DeShields, Executive Director, Tourism Diversity Matters Janette Roush, Executive Vice President of Marketing at NYC & Co Jennifer Grimmer, President and CEO of Gilmer Chamber of Commerce Karen Kuhl, Executive Director, Cayuga County CVB The Travel Unity Roadshow Defined The Travel Unity Summit highlights the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the travel and tourism industry. The event allows destination marketers and other travel professionals to discuss how they can incorporate the principles of DEI into their everyday practice. Our seven guests also share their word of the summit — and the terms and concepts that appear are insightful. David Naczycz, Owner of WeVenture David shares why the travel industry has a significant role in promoting DEI. The scale of our industry is vast, as is the number of people we touch so we can impact our teams, our companies, and our visitors and model the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. David also emphasizes the need to take the concept of decolonization seriously, take some time to reflect, and make changes so that we're not exploiting people, we're spreading the wealth, and including everybody. Dustin Woerhmann, President and Creative Director of Communify Dustin outline the steps Communify are taking to bring DEI to their organization in terms of helping destinations to tell their authentic stories. Communify works to create advisory groups with a broad range of interests from a broad range of backgrounds to help put together inclusive marketing content for a destination. Dustin tells us why his word of the summit is inclusive and how the event is shining a light on what it means to be genuinely inclusive. Elijah Washington, Youth and Collegiate Programs Director at Travel Unity Elijah describes the topics most often discussed by students and young people around DEI and what they are primarily interested in. He shares how they are bringing the discussion to the youth in college and how they make the topic more accessible and applicable to students in the high school age range. Elijah also notes why it is so interesting to hear students' views on DEI and how it relates to their community or culture. Greg DeShields, Executive Director, Tourism Diversity Matters Tourism Diversity Matters was founded on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As such, it is their priority to work within the travel industry to address those gaps in DEI. They help business leaders with appropriate resources and valuable strategies for their DEI programs via their four-pillar approach. Greg outlines the four pillars of his organization — the apprenticeship program, workforce development, DEI training, and research and data — and explains how each helps in reducing social and economic inequality and building awareness. Janette Roush, Executive Vice President of Marketing at NYC & Co Janette explores why accessibility needs a place in the world of inclusion and how NYC and Co are making an impact as marketers via the stories they tell. She describes why they devoted a lot of time during the pandemic to finding a broad range of stories that touch various audiences and sharing them via content hubs on their site. Janette's word of the summit is 'warm' because of the welcome she has received and the sense of enlightenment shared by so many passionate people at the summit. Jennifer Grimmer, President and CEO of Gilmer Chamber of Commerce Jennifer believes that the travel industry can make a significant impact by portraying everyone and being inclusive when it comes to travel. Our sector should convey a welcome to anyone visiting any destination and be attentive to people's needs in marketing and discussing travel. It's exciting for Jennifer that the Travel Unity Summit is so popular, and she is thrilled to see that so many people working for DMOs across the country are committed to DEI. Karen Kuhl, Executive Director, Cayuga County CVB Diversity, equity, and inclusion is woven into every part of the tourism industry. Karen shares how the Cayuga County CVB works with a variety of partnerships and ensures that each individual organization has the same opportunity to be elevated and celebrated. She discusses what it means to be an advocate and an authentic friend to organizations means understanding and listening to them, and how that creates an alignment with visitors. I hope you enjoyed the second episode of our special three-part series from the Travel Unity Summitt. All of these inspirational leaders had so much to share on how their organizations continue to impact DEI in the travel and tourism industry. Next week we'll hear from more remarkable travel and tourism experts, so I hope you'll join the conversation! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

In this series, we dive into the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and hear the perspectives of leaders within the travel and tourism industry. My team has taken the show on the road without me for this episode, and I'm excited that they and you are benefitting from all the great information shared at The Travel Unity Summit. For this first episode in a special three-part series of Destination on the Left, Rhonda and Brittany visited the Travel Unity Summit to chat to attendees about their experiences working in the travel and tourism industry, and particularly their experience of DEI in their communities. I'm excited to share all the discussions and experiences that came out of my team's experience at the Travel Unity Roadshow in Brookhaven, Georgia, and the candid conversations they had with guests at the summit. In this first episode of a special three-part Destination On The Left series, you'll hear from these five fantastic travel and tourism leaders: Amber Cameron, Operations Director for Travel Unity Aquan Robinson, Director of Destination Sales for Experience Montgomery Bethany Rogers, Executive Director, NewTown Loans Billy Kolber, CEO and Co-founder of Hospitable ME Danny Guerrero, Founder, The Culturist Group Insights and Experiences from the Travel Unity Roadshow The Travel Unity Summit is focused on allowing everyone in the travel and tourism industry to come together to tackle how to move forward on the vital work of incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into strategic planning and implementation. Destination marketers and members of the travel industry share ideas on applying the principles of DEI to ensure that their communities are welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities. Amber Cameron from Travel Unity Amber shares how she was able to incorporate DEI into every process every step of the way because she created the HR department from scratch at Travel Unity. She describes how by using the DEI standards that Travel Unity had created using a committee of external participants from around the travel industry, they were able to follow a pre-drawn roadmap to successfully refine their policies. Amber also shares her insights into building a fully engaged team to support the organization and the wider community in their DEI endeavors. Aquan Robinson from Experience Montgomery The travel industry is often the first touchpoint you have in many spaces. And whatever the attractions or destinations in the local community, it is vital to make sure that everyone has a fair and equitable experience. Aquan describes why we can make a business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion and why it's essential for cities like Montgomery to be at the forefront of these conversations. The travel industry is so crucial to every community so it must lead the way in doing the right thing with regard to DEI. Bethany Rogers from NewTown Loans Bethany describes how NewTown Loans have been instrumental in increasing storefront occupancy in Macon, Georgia, by giving people opportunities to purchase that bigger banks have denied them. She shares what the Travel Unity Summit means to her and why for her, knowing that the whole travel and tourism community is moving in the same direction with diversity, equity, and inclusion is inspirational. Billy Kolber from Hospitable ME Billy explains how Hospitable ME provides inclusive hospitality strategy and education for tourism, retail, and healthcare organizations with particular expertise in LGBTQ+. He highlights the three steps they're taking to bring DEI to their customers, including helping them understand who LGBTQ people are and how the LGBTQ plus market is relevant to their destination or organization. Billy also shares how his organization helps destinations build an LGBTQ+ network to engage with the community and offer queer-specific content that integrates queer people and LGBTQ+ topics and venues into their overall marketing campaigns. Danny Guerrero from The Culturist Group DEI is fundamental for Danny Guerrero, and he shares why he considers multicultural marketing and marketing resources and platforms in the travel and tourism industry to be an absolute must. The research shows that so many people are not feeling seen or welcome or represented in destination marketing — and often marketers want to be inclusive, but they often don't know how to. Danny emphasizes that t's not about selecting or segregating; it's about reinforcing your brand strategy and approach to better understand the values and motivators of marginalized groups. I hope you enjoyed this first episode of our special three-part series from the Travel Unity Summitt. Rhonda and Brittany and the leaders they spoke to have shared so many valuable insights into how destinations can move forward to embrace the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Next week we'll hear from more remarkable travel and tourism experts, so I hope you'll join the conversation! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Jill Ramiel was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, and attended the State University of New York at Binghamton. While pursuing her master's degree at the University of Washington, she met Ken Alper, a fellow East Coast native and master's degree recipient. The couple moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1997 and bought the historic Messerschmidt Building. Originally built in 1898 as a bakery, the Historic Messerschmidt building in downtown Juneau now houses the Silverbow Inn Hotel & Suites. Jill and Ken have been renovating and expanding it ever since. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Jill Ramiel about her role as a small business owner in the tourism industry and why she is adamant that collaboration is essential in creating a unique local experience that visitors also love. She shares how she delights and surprises her guests by seeking meaningful and authentic partnerships and describes her plans for the Silverbow Inn Hotel & Suites as we move into the post-pandemic travel and tourism era. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How small businesses can foster a sense of community and bring people together to share ideas Jill's creative collaborations with local partners, including a wonderful muralist, and why her guests appreciate her partnerships with the artisans of Juneau Why being inexperienced in the travel and tourism sector allowed Jill to look at things from a different angle How budget constraints make you more creative in your thinking Jill reflects on the last two years and how her business moved forward during that time How the Silverbow Inn Hotel & Suites is enhancing their customer experience with technology The expansion of the inn and why Jill thinks visitors will love the refurbishments Why unique local experiences start with the locals, not the tourists Networking for Success Putting the time into researching to solve problems creatively is essential when you're on a tight budget. And even when you're not, there are so many reasons why keeping an open mind and relishing the opportunity to make creative decisions is important. Jill Ramiel joins us on the podcast this week to share her journey from architecture student in New York to hotelier in Juneau, Alaska. She describes why it's such a pleasure to work with skilled, passionate people, grow her network, and be inspired by all the talented people around her. Small business owners are a significant part of the tourism ecosystem, and it's fascinating how destinations can work with them to really display what is special and unique about an area. Technological Advances So many people and destinations have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jill shares how her boutique hotel, the Silver Bow Inn, has made pivotal, impactful positive changes over the last two years. She reveals that her superpower is persistence and highlights how she and her team worked together to find the solution to keeping the business afloat and relevant when the situation was changing so rapidly. Jill and Nicole discuss some of the technical innovations that allowed the inn to operate in a 'hands-off' fashion, including the doorknobs that you could unlock using your cell phone number and self-check-in systems — and some of the glitches that Jill had to deal with! Keeping Downtown Areas Alive When people are all working hard individually, it can be easy for them to become siloed in their own businesses. But when your destination relies on all of the small businesses in the area it's immensely valuable to step outside your own operations and collaborate with others. Jill notes that a good downtown is a curated downtown and that the onus was on the businesses in the downtown zone of Juneau to ensure it was an attractive place to visit — not only for tourists but for locals too. As she says, "if the locals love it, tourists will love it too." Visitors will be drawn to a unique local experience, and the most effective way to build that experience is to collaborate with others. Resources: Website: www.silverbowinn.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-ramiel/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-silverbow-inn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverbowinn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silverbowinn/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/