Travel Megatrends 2018: Brands Embrace Diversity to Combat Neo-Nationalism
Photo Credit: Travel companies are increasingly speaking out about multicultural acceptance, diversity, and inclusion. Skift / Bett Norris
Skift Take
Travel brands no longer get political at their own risk — they avoid politics at their own risk. With so much at stake in the Trump era, remaining on the sidelines about multicultural acceptance isn’t an option.
Skift Megatrends 2018
In January 2018 released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2018. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.This Megatrend is brought to you in partnership with Intrepid.
Things were never quite the same after President Donald Trump’s first travel ban, decried by civil liberties groups as a discriminatory Muslim ban.
Three travel bans in, companies are finding that speaking out about multicultural acceptance, diversity, and inclusion isn’t a risky move, or even the new normal — it’s the new mandatory.
In such a polarized environment, brands can’t afford to support the travel ban, border wall, or other isolationist ideas, all of which make travel harder and hurt bottom lines. Arguably, brands can’t even afford to remain neutral when so much is at stake, which is turning executives into activists of multicultural acceptance.
The first travel ban elicited widespread condemnations from those targeted by the order and other people of color, both within the travel community
