A Letter From Hui Chen
On behalf of PGAV, I am proud to introduce the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) series for Destinology. This series of articles will include market research, reflections, and initiatives on DEAI. Here, I want to share some of my personal experiences as an Asian tourist attraction designer.
I started my career in China over 20 years ago. My first extensively involved project was turning an old seaside neighborhood in the heart of a very famous tourist city into a trendy, high-end tourist attraction. The project was a design success. It included original historic facades, a verandah that continues the region's culture, a lantern-shaped landmark by the sea, and various modern cafes, restaurants, and galleries. At the beginning of the project, we walked the streets and interviewed many of the indigenous people of the old neighborhood to learn more about the area’s cultural heritage. I felt proud to be part of the team and wanted to hear the neighborhood's perspective, so I had a follow-up interview with them. The remaining residents in this old neighborhood told me that this new attraction was beautiful, but they couldn't afford to go. Many older people, who relocated to make way for the development, felt lonely because of the separation from their familiar circle of friends; some even died early. It was my first direct encounter with the impact of a tourist attraction project on a socially disadvantaged group. It was heartbreaking and prompted me to come to the United States to conduct further research on the subject.
Our goal in this series of DEAI studies is to identify blind spots in our work, explore practical programs, and ultimately bring the entire industry into a deeper and broader conversation.
I went to graduate school at UT Austin. There was a community not far from the campus. Many artists who lived there regularly opened their studios to the public on weekends in the fall, and the best taco I've ever eaten came from a street stall owned by a Mexican woman. So, I chose this neighborhood as my research target when I was preparing for my community redevelopment design assignment. I borrowed a bike from a classmate and explored the neighborhood by myself. I noticed a police car following me silently for a long time. When I stopped to ask the police officer if I had done something wrong, he told me kindly that the neighborhood had a high crime rate and was not a good place for a young woman to wander alone. The fun and culturally diverse art village was not considered safe because it was in a poor neighborhood.
As my experience in the industry has grown, I have learned more and more about this type of story. Attractions that are successful and appealing to certain audiences may not offer similar experiences to other groups for reasons large or small. The reasons may include economic constraints, safety concerns, or a lack of genuine inclusiveness. After becoming a mother, I became even more sensitive to the problems relating to DEAI. As an attraction designer, I am fortunate to address some of my concerns in my work. I have tried to create a more welcoming environment for all visitors by providing designs inclusive of families with special needs and being responsive to authentic multiculturalism.
In addition, I had the privilege of working with others here at PGAV to spearhead a market survey to better understand the experiences of people of color at attractions. We identified essential problem areas by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data on demographics. Using these findings as a basis, we formed a task force with members of diverse races and backgrounds. Together, we are working to identify methods to address these topics, some of which we will present in the following issues of Destinology.
"Gathering trickles of ideas makes the ocean flow."
A tourist attraction might simultaneously be a project that brings fun to the vast majority of visitors, high profit to the developers, and tax revenue and jobs to the government, and where a few visitors feel ignored, offended, or even hurt. We want to take a deep dive into what and why some attractions make people with special needs, people of color, or people with different backgrounds, feel uncomfortable. We know that no one alone can make a difference on an economic and policy level by themselves, and no project can please all people. Our goal in this series of DEAI studies is to identify blind spots in our work, explore practical programs, and ultimately bring the entire industry and end-users, including designers, corporate leaders, attraction developers and operators, community residents, policymakers, and visitors, into a deeper and broader conversation about this issue. There is an ancient saying in China: "Gathering trickles of ideas makes the ocean flow." Dialogue is the first and most effective step in bridging the gap. Please join us and tell us what you think or what difficulties you have encountered in moving forward with DEAI. We hope that our next series of articles will include not only our research findings but also your observations and reflections.
Sincerely,
Hui Chen, Director of Asian Projects
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