Anna Corbitt and Kim Lackey like to explore new destinations, they relayed their ideas and thoughts on how designs impact their experience, common accessibility issues, and what could be improved.

The diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) journey can feel long and hard. It’s difficult to know where to begin and can feel overwhelming if you look at the full scope of issues marginalized communities face. Where do you start? How about starting with a conversation?

In previous articles, we’ve discussed safety, cultural authenticity, and including the voices of marginalized communities. Let’s check in with one organization to see how they are helping make travel safe, enjoyable, authentic, and inclusive for LGBTQ+ visitors.

Do you throw a Pride flag on a t-shirt to show support for the LGBQT+ community in June? Or send out a tweet once a year during Black History Month? While those things are great, you'll have to go further if you genuinely want to show your support and include marginalized communities. Now more than ever, people want to see a commitment to DEAI efforts and believe those efforts are authentic. How do we show our visitors we care about inclusion?

Theme parks and other attractions are often known for dazzling environments: flashing lights, thrilling screams from people as they plummet on a roller coaster’s descent, booms from the bright fireworks, and the smell of kettle corn and funnel cakes. While all this excitement is part of the experience, how do we accommodate people who are sensitive to it?

Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery, a planation in Nashville, TN., has long hosted tours of the grounds and has a working winery on premises. But in the past, the stories of the enslaved were not told. That changed when they began researching the history of the enslaved people who once lived there and launched their Journey to Jubilee tour. Brigette Jones, Director of Equitable Partnerships at Belle Meade, spoke with us about her experience at Belle Meade and the power of her voice in telling the story.

DEAI efforts can give our visitors a sense of belonging, but are we including the right voices during the design process? Can we dig a little deeper into the culture, history, and stories of the people and places our attractions represent?

In this week’s article, we look at the Fresno Chafee Zoo’s new Kingdom of Asia exhibit and the Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery to learn how they include new voices telling their stories.

The Green Book once helped Black travelers locate hotels, restaurants, and towns that welcomed Black people. It is no longer published, but websites, blogs, and social media continue to inform travelers of places they feel safe.

Let’s talk about what’s making visitors feel unsafe while traveling and look for paths to improvement.

What’s the difference between Equality and Equity? We’ll talk about it. And Dawn Griffard of the World Bird Sanctuary discusses their commitment to diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion—and why a bird sanctuary is so passionate about it.

People are ready to travel, explore, and have fun, but they are also looking to do those things in places they feel safe, supported, and seen. This is the function of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) efforts. While we try to put the welcome mat out for everyone, there are times we may not see the discrimination or exclusion that is occurring. Focusing on DEAI allows us to look deeper into those blind spots and make positive changes.

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.