New for 2021, Global Traveler introduced an award recognizing the airline, cruise line and hotel brand that best exemplify diversity and inclusion within the travel industry.
Diversity refers to the presence of differences, including but not limited to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and age. Equity means fairness and impartiality in an organization’s policies and practices. Inclusion is the active practice of welcoming diverse individuals so they can fully participate and contribute. Guided by these principles, Global Traveler added the Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion in Travel award to its annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards.
To determine winners, Global Traveler staff and Advisory Board members evaluated nominated airlines, cruise lines and hotel brands on multiple measures related to diversity, equity and inclusion policies, programs and outcomes.
Here’s a closer look at the inaugural winners.
PHOTO: © ALASKA AIRLINES
Alaska Airlines earned the first-ever award for Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion in Travel, Airline. The carrier set public diversity, equity and inclusion goals to be achieved by 2025 and outlined concrete steps to meet them. Earlier in the year, Alaska Airlines appointed James Thomas as director of DEI to lead the company’s efforts toward these commitments.
The airline held employee listening sessions to better understand workplace experiences and challenges, and launched racial equity training for all employees. Alaska now requires diverse candidate slates and interview panels for senior roles and aims to increase racial diversity at every level. Today, frontline and manager positions reflect about 30 percent racial diversity, compared with roughly 16 percent at leadership levels. The target is at least 30 percent racial diversity across all levels by 2025, supported by updated recruiting strategies and leadership development and sponsorship programs.
Alaska also set a goal to raise its Inclusion Index Score within employee engagement surveys by 10 points by 2025. The airline plans to create career pathways for at least 175,000 young people through partnerships with programs such as the United Negro College Fund and other community organizations. It recently joined the Washington Employers for Racial Equity coalition to deepen its external partnerships.
The airline is committed to accessibility for employees and customers with disabilities across marketing, recruitment, hiring, retention and facilities development, leveraging current and emerging technologies to remove barriers.
© CELEBRITY CRUISES
The Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion in Travel, Cruise award went to Celebrity Cruises. The line partners with a range of organizations, including Best Buddies International, which focuses on ending isolation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Celebrity participates in Best Buddies’ employment programs and related sponsorships.
Gender equality is a stated priority at Celebrity Cruises. President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo has committed to increasing female representation across the cruise line. Under her leadership the company appointed its first female American captain, its first female Ecuadorian captain and the first West African woman to serve on a cruise ship bridge. Within 18 months, the share of women working on Celebrity ship bridges rose from 3 percent to 22 percent.
Celebrity has been recognized for LGBTQ+-friendly offerings, receiving awards for Best Large Ship Cruise Line for LGBTQ Passengers and Best Onboard LGBTQ Gatherings. Same-sex marriages officiated by captains aboard Celebrity ships have been legally recognized since 2017. The cruise line hosts a Pride Party at Sea each June and runs LGBTQ+ events fleetwide throughout the year.
PHOTO: © MARRIOTT
Marriott International received the Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion in Travel, Hotel award. Diversity and inclusion are central to Marriott’s values and business practices.
Data source DiversityInc named Marriott the top company for diversity, equity and inclusion across all industries in 2020. As an employer, Marriott’s workforce includes more than 67 percent people of color, with about 37 percent represented in manager-level roles. Women make up 44 percent of Marriott’s global executive team. In 2021 the Human Rights Campaign listed Marriott among the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
Marriott supports accessibility through tools such as the eSSENTIAL Accessibility app, which assists guests with conditions like arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy and mild visual impairments in navigating technology. The brand offers mobility- and hearing-accessible guestrooms at properties worldwide.
Expanding its global footprint is part of Marriott’s strategy to increase opportunities for diverse communities. New properties create jobs and economic benefits in destinations such as Haiti. Marriott also invests in community impact through training and scholarship programs for young people and by partnering with many diversity-focused organizations.
Marriott works with more than 30 diversity organizations, including the American Foundation for the Blind, Human Rights Campaign, International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and others to advance inclusion and opportunity.
We recognize these brands for their ongoing commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Their policies and programs set an example across the travel industry and demonstrate a clear dedication to building a more inclusive future. Congratulations to Alaska Airlines, Celebrity Cruises and Marriott International for their leadership and progress.
OUTSTANDING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION IN TRAVEL
AIRLINE
Alaska Airlines
CRUISE
Celebrity Cruises
HOTEL
Marriott International