All Are Welcome
Elevating the Topic of Diversity
It’s an uncomfortable truth, but a truth nevertheless: across society, we are working to rectify a long heritage of systemic racism. We are, by and large, making strides in the right direction, but more progress is needed to achieve full equity and inclusion.
This assessment also applies to the attractions industry. We have improved in many ways, and we continue to take steps forward. But we cannot and should not forget the unfortunate aspects of our history when it comes to inclusion. (For quick and shockingly-true history stories, click on these articles to learn about 20th century American mayors draining swimming pools rather than integrating them; government agencies restricting access to state and national parks; art galleries refusing to show Black art; and theme parks propagating racial stereotypes.) We need to acknowledge these gross mistakes and learn from them.
In pursuit of insights, VOV 2022 expanded to focus on visitors’ perceptions and experiences with diversity while traveling. In addition to our general sample of 1,500 visitors, we collected an oversample of 400 people self-identifying as any race other than non-Hispanic white. Throughout this article, we are going to follow the AP Style Book and use the term people of color when referring to these respondents. We sincerely apologize in advance if this choice creates discomfort, and we welcome any reader to contact us and continue the discussion.
VOV 2022 results clearly show both the progress we’ve made, and the need for continued focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those identifying as people of color made up a record-setting percentage of attraction visitors in 2021, and they indicated strong enthusiasm to try more new attractions in 2022. But VOV 2022 also showed a significant gap in satisfaction with respondents’ attraction visits … as well as examples highlighting racism and inequity that still exists today.
Big Opportunities with Enthusiastic Audiences
Of our respondents, those identifying as people of color made up 33% of attraction visitors in 2021 – a new VOV record. And these respondents showed a strong enthusiasm to visit attractions they have never visited before; when compared with those identifying as non-Hispanic white, people of color visited 6% more attractions in 2021, and were 16% more likely to be first-time visitors. As a whole, 72% said they planned to visit even more attractions in 2022.
For a closer look, let’s break down the data.
In 2021, those identifying as Hispanic were particularly active when compared to other ethnicities. They visited more attractions (4.5 attractions), made more first-time visits, and spent more money than they had in the past. In comparison, people identifying as Asian indicated notably lower-than-average attraction visitation last year (3.3 attractions). And while Hispanic and Asian respondents tend to have the highest household incomes ($104,500 and $99,400 respectively), all people of color report being more likely to continue spending more in 2022 when compared with non-Hispanic white respondents.
Looking specifically at visitation intent for 2022, those identifying as Black reported the highest intent to visit ANY attraction, also with high intent to return to a previously visited attraction. The number of attractions to visit in 2022 ranked highest among Multiracial respondents (4.8 attractions), though again, all groups are planning to visit more attractions this year compared to non-Hispanic whites.
These responses show us that travel and attractions are valued by all, independent of race. And as racial and ethnic lines soften due to family blending, more young Americans consider themselves both white and members of a minority racial or ethnic group. It is expected that by 2045 less than half of Americans will consider themselves white-only.
Identifying the Barriers for Improvement
Despite the industry’s advances, VOV 2022 also shows us areas where more work is needed. First on the list is addressing the pronounced – and growing – gap in satisfaction. While collectively, overall guest satisfaction (ranked on a 5-point scale) among people of color is 4.07 compared to 4.49 for non-Hispanic whites, this satisfaction varies among racial groups. Respondents identifying as Hispanic may have been visiting more attractions and spending more money in 2021 but, on average, they reported the second lowest guest satisfaction score (4.08). The lowest score was found among Multiracial respondents, who are planning to visit the most attractions in 2022.
So, what is the root of this dissatisfaction?
We posed the following question to all respondents:
“Previous research studies have revealed that people of color tend to experience lower levels of satisfaction when visiting some types of attractions in the United States. Why do you think that is?”
Compare the above representative sample of responses from people of color, to this small sample of responses from non-Hispanic whites.
“Uneducated.” | “No jobs.” | “Not as culturally well rounded.” | “Chip on their shoulders.”
Not every non-Hispanic white commented in such blatant and hurtful stereotypes, but the very existence of such comments illustrates that racism at attractions remains a significant problem today.
Scratching The Surface
While the record 33% of visitors in 2021 is good news, we must also keep in mind that people of color make up 40% of the U.S. population today, signaling that they are a significantly underserved population at attractions. It requires no leap of logic to assume that the same issues that dragged down visitor satisfaction could also contribute to others deciding to skip an attraction visit altogether.
PGAV intends to explore this topic further in 2022 via Destinology, our weekly publication. Until then, should you have questions about how to improve your attraction or destination for diversity, equity, and inclusion, we suggest starting by opening dialogues with diverse groups within your community. Ask questions. Share ideas. And most importantly, value and act on feedback.
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