Jamie-Lee Abtar, multicultural community lead at Women in Travel CIC, says more needs to be done at all levels of the sector
When Women in Travel CIC and the University of Surrey School of Hospitality and Tourism Management came together to produce the first in-depth analysis of the travel decisions and preferences of British Black, Asian and other ethnic minority travellers in the UK, I already had some sense of what it was going to tell us.
Some of the most significant findings are also sadly some of the least surprising to me – that there continues to be a lack of diversity in advertising, and a scarcity of Black and Asian professionals working at senior levels; that concerns for physical safety and worries about racism and discrimination are a key priority for ethnic minority travellers and that British Black and Asian travellers feel unheard and undervalued.
This is an everyday experience, and significant change is required at all levels to enable the industry to better engage with this market segment.
More surprising – not to me, but to the broader industry, perhaps – is that the industry is missing out on a significant opportunity. The message from the report was loud and clear – this is a lucrative market segment.
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Ninety-two per cent of British Black and Asian respondents travelled within the UK at least once a year and ninety-nine per cent travelled abroad, compared with eighty-five per cent of white respondents saying they travelled within the UK and seventy-three per cent abroad. Yet ongoing, systemic prejudice and stereotyping mean travel companies and destinations continue to overlook this highly-profitable sector.
So why is it taking the industry so long to wake up to the huge opportunity that targeting a broader ethnic mix presents? And, more importantly, how do we bring about long-term and meaningful change?
It starts with the foundations, by increasing representation of different communities in senior leadership positions. As my friend and colleague Ella Paradis, founder of The Black Explorer magazine, says: travel brands need to ditch the performative allyship and embed diversity and inclusion from the ground up.
Secondly, destinations need to make themselves more welcoming and appealing to Black and Asian travellers, both by seriously addressing issues of race-targeted crimes, and by creating experiences and activities that will appeal to the different groups within these demographics. There are still many places that Black and Asian travellers will not travel to because they do not feel welcome. They need to feel protected, so tougher punishment for race-targeted crimes and broader education around tolerance, culture and community is essential.
And, of course, there is marketing – we need to feel represented in media and marketing content about tourism. Why would I travel to a place or spend my money with a brand when it doesn’t talk to me, represent me or reflect my values authentically? As another of my industry colleagues, Brand and Cultural Marketing expert, Cecelia Adjei, said; “Authentic engagements start with developing a connection with the audience and to do this, you need to understand them: learn about their habits, characteristics, likes and dislikes. And then create with them. Meet them where they are.”
While the travel industry is behind the curve in embracing this opportunity, we are not alone. Travel and its people are my passion, my career and my life. But change is long overdue, and we can help each other. The report lays out a range of further recommendations that businesses can start to implement now, and these will be supported by a toolkit that Women in Travel cic is also developing. I would encourage everyone to read the report and digest its findings, so that together we can finally start to move this conversation on in a meaningful way.
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