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When the protests over George Floyd’s killing by police were at their height, the suitcase brand Away posted an Instagram message saying that its team was “doing the work to educate ourselves on becoming actively anti-racist,” and that the company would donate money to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and other organizations. The message made the rounds in Instagram direct messages among black travelers and influencers, and was shared in their group chats and Facebook groups.
Not in a good way.
Tanisha Cherry’s response was typical. “When I saw Away’s post, I kind of laughed to myself because it seemed really performative,” said Ms. Cherry, a culture, beauty and travel blogger based in Calgary, Canada. Away’s Instagram feed typically features its sleek, colorful suitcases with built-in batteries in various locations around the world.
Many travel companies over the past three weeks have joined the corporate rush to issue statements in support of diversity and racial equality on their social media platforms. Some have posted the black square that became a popular symbol of solidarity for racial justice with the hashtag #blackouttuesday, while others issued their own videos or posts. Almost all of these travel companies promised to donate to organizations that work to fight racism and racial inequalities.
But many black travelers, travel influencers, writers, photographers, publicists and organizations said they feel that the statements are lip service from an industry that has historically excluded black people and continues to do so — rarely working with black people in marketing and advertising, or including black people on staffs or in high-level jobs.
They have gathered on numerous Zoom calls and Facebook Groups to discuss how to respond to an industry that they say sees them as secondary contributors and customers, even though black people spend about $63 billion on travel annually.
“The travel industry has constantly just ignored the black travel market and that is to their detriment,” said Paula Franklin, co-founder of the communications firm Franklin Bailey. “I don’t think the exclusion has been intentional, but it is pervasive: From which writers publications have writing about travel, who brands feature on their social media accounts, who is invited to conferences and on panels, to who sits on boards and leads companies.”
Ms. Cherry was one of many people who commented on Away’s post with questions, asking if the company would be working with more black influencers and photographers, or if it would feature more images of black people in its posts long-term.
“I would love to see you collaborating with more black creators like myself and showing us love on your feed,” Ms. Cherry wrote.
Brendan Lewis, vice president for communications and corporate affairs at Away, said in an email on Friday that the company in the past has engaged with this group of travelers, using the now-popular acronym for black, Indigenous, people of color, for both brand work and its in-house magazine.
“We have a strong history of working with BIPOC influencers across both the Away brand and Here Magazine, but recognize we can do more with the Black influencer community,” he wrote. “We are actively examining every single facet of our business, including the celebrities and influencers we work with, in order to build a brand that is anti-racist, inside and out.”
Swift, vocal reaction
In response to the protests, Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism commission, posted a black square as well as two photos of Black Lives Matter gatherings that had taken place in the cities of Portland and Bend.
“The senseless violence and discrimination against Black Americans must stop,” a caption said. “As our nation confronts the realities of its deeply rooted racism and institutional bias, we as Oregonians do as well.”
The caption also called for writers and photographers of color to work with the agency and send ideas. But something about the post stood out to followers: The first photograph in the post was taken by a white photographer.
Comments calling out the tourism board were swift.
“Did you really just use an image from a white photographer on a call for more ‘diverse’ content by bipoc? please try harder,” wrote Celeste Noche, one commenter.
“Please consider sharing Black photographer’s work that is equally if not more powerful,” another commenter wrote.
“It’s understandable how it could be an afterthought, but the irony is unmistakable, ”said Joe Whittle, an Indigenous photographer. “Many within racial-equity movements consider corporate marketing-oriented diversity and inclusion efforts to be the equivalent of ‘thoughts and prayers,’ and this is why.”
Jaime Eder, the global communications coordinator for Travel Oregon, said in an email on Thursday that the goal of the images was to “show the magnitude of the movement in Oregon — from urban areas to rural areas.”
“The important point though is that we did see and hear the feedback on our social channels, which we appreciate very much because it takes courage to speak up and the only way we can truly do better in our work is when we understand the impacts when oversights and mistakes are made,” Ms. Eder said.
Instagram and other marketing materialsare significant ways for companies to make money, and these channels support an industry of influencers who are either paid by brands or receive free travel or lodging for posting about their experiences. Opportunities to collaborate with top brands translate to real economic opportunities. Some influencers make hundreds of thousands of dollars through collaborations.
The idea of using influencers is a divisive one in the travel world, with some big travel brands saying they will stop using them, and critics saying that the promotions amount to “pay for play.” But many brands continue to work with them.
A desire for increased communication
In the past few weeks, hotel brands, including The Standard and Kimpton hotels, posted black squares or their own statements about commitments to diversity and promised to educate themselves on how to support the black community. But they were also called out for not having more diverse staffs and for not previously prioritizing diversity on social media.
Amar Lalvani, The Standard’s chief executive, wrote in an email to staff last week, “I am proud that 49 percent of our corporate senior leadership are women, 37 percent are people of color and 22 percent are LGBTQ+. I am ashamed that only one is black. Without representation, it is no surprise that we have failed our black team members.”
Mr. Lalvani also said that the company created an inclusion and diversity council and would bring back a program, called Standard Votes, that aims to educate people about what’s at stake during the presidential election in November.
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, according to its chief executive, Mike DeFrino, plans to audit its recruiting and hiring practices “with a focus on recruiting, retaining and advancement for current and future BIPOC employees.”
“We’re proud that Black creators and partners are represented in 15 percent of our brand ad campaigns and social media content,” Mr. DeFrino wrote in an email. “Moving forward, we pledge over the next two years to increase that number to 25 percent across all Kimpton marketing and advertising channels.”
When the Hoxton, a hotel group with properties in New York, Los Angeles and other cities, posted a black square on Instagram, and said that it stands “in solidarity with and by the black community,” and is committed to “learning, growing and doing our part in the fight to end racism and inequality,” one black artist said that the company’s words didn’t match its behavior.
“You’ve exhibited my work in your London and Paris hotels for close to a year, way, way past what was ever agreed and have repeatedly ignored multiple emails requesting to have my work sent back to me,” the artist Mahaneela commented on Instagram.
The Hoxton told Mahaneela in a comment to contact them directly. She did so, but she said this week that she has not heard back. The Hoxton did not respond to requests for comment.
Several black influencers said that when they call out brands in comments, they are often told to send private messages, but those often go unanswered. In the case of Away and Ms. Cherry, the luggage company suggested that she too send a private message.
Mr. Lewis said that the company gets dozens of inquiries from influencers daily, “so there’s a tremendous volume to deal with and vet.” He said that of 11 issues of the company’s magazine with people on the covers, eight of them featured black travelers.
‘Struck by the candor’
Several black influencers said that they started their blogs because they wanted to create the images of black people traveling that they did not see advertised by many companies.
The lack of representation of black people in outdoor travel marketing, in particular, led Rue Mapp to create Outdoor Afro in 2009. The organization has some 90 outdoor guides and leaders in 30 states who work to connect black people to outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and surfing.
“It wasn’t as though black people weren’t participating in outdoor activities,” Ms. Mapp said. “But we didn’t have the visual representation of people doing it. There’s an embedded affirmation that you belong and are welcome when you see people who look like you doing something. The absence of black people doing these activities, wearing these shoes, doing the activity creates an exclusion.”
Ms. Mapp said that it is important that in their efforts to diversify, brands not brownwash or make tokens of black people by just featuring them in images. Progress has to include introspection and inclusion of black people in every aspect of a business.
Ms. Mapp and Ms. Franklin, the travel publicist, said that they have observed many travel companies taking diversity seriously over the years, and many more so in recent weeks.
“I think right now is a different time,” Ms. Mapp said. “I’ve been struck by the candor and the way people are getting it and talking about diversity in the outdoors and in travel like a serious issue. It is a watershed moment.”
Several influencers and photographers described receiving a flurry of messages from brands wanting to share their images in the past two weeks. Ms. Franklin has heard from editors of travel publications, publicists, writers and people who plan travel conferences and events, all seeking guidance on how to do better.
“Before two weeks ago people weren’t looking at panels and thinking, ‘Why isn’t this more diverse?’” Ms. Franklin said. “Now I’m getting calls and emails from white writers and editors saying ‘I’m on a panel that’s all white people, how can I make this more inclusive?’”
On Wednesday, a group of black influencers, writers and photographers launched The Black Travel Alliance, an initiative calling for travel companies to commit to diversifying every aspect of their business in the short and long term. The alliance asked travel brands to share information about diversity in their companies using the hashtag #pullupfortravel.
In addition to looking at how much companies have contributed to black charities and community groups, the alliance plans to create a score card rating companies on how many black people are on staff and in management positions. Trade shows and conferences will be scored by how many black people are on panels and in other workshops. For paid advertising and marketing, the scorecard will look at the percentage of black people featured in images, in television and radio ads, and on social media channels. The scorecard will also look at how many black writers and photographers were invited on press trips, in which they get free accommodations and travel in return for creating articles, by publications and venues.
“Black Travel Alliance was heartened to see that many destinations and travel brands showed support during #BlackOutTuesday,” said Jeff Jenkins, a travel blogger and one of the founders of the alliance. “However, dismantling systemic racism requires more than social media activism. Destination management organizations and travel brands need to truly become more inclusive in their hiring practices and marketing campaigns.”
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