04 Oct Travel Unity Summit welcomes everyone in Lake Placid Nov. 5 – 6
Lake Placid, NY – Travel Unity will host its 2021 Summit both online and in-person, with virtual sessions taking place October 27 – 29, 2021, and live sessions in Lake Placid, NY on November 5 – 6, 2021. This year’s theme is “How to Practice Applied DEI.”
“The Summit will focus on why diversity is key to a region’s sustainability, and how we can attract and welcome more diverse travelers,” said Mary Jane Lawrence, Chief Operating Officer at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). “We encourage business owners, frontline staff, and anyone interested in fostering vibrant communities to join us for the conference.”
Topics for this year’s Summit include “Travel Media, Sustainability, and DEI,” “Tourism and Communities,” and “The Tour Industry and DEI.”
“Travel Unity’s philosophy has always been about going beyond performative statements and reactive, short-term initiatives,” said Roni Weiss, the Executive Director of Travel Unity. “This year’s Summit will be wholly focused on how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the day-to-day of both organizations and individual professional roles.”
“After welcoming over 475 virtual attendees from around the globe for last year’s Summit, it was clear that there was a desire within the industry to hold deeper conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Romey Louangvilay, President of Travel Unity’s Board of Directors. “We are also excited to be able to hold our first in-person event since 2019, thanks to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, this year’s Hosting Sponsor, which will bring us back to the Adirondacks, where we held 2018’s Summit.”
MMGY Global is supporting the event as a Silver Sponsor. Bronze Sponsors are the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Cayuga County Tourism. Visit Rochester, North America Tour Hub, and Yonder are also sponsors.
Travel Unity is also pleased to welcome the support of ITMI, RISE Travel Institute, Tourism Cares, Tourism Diversity Matters, Wanderful, and Women in Travel. Virtual speakers include Lebawit Lily Girma (Skift), Danny Guerrero (MMGY Global), David Holder (Clarity of Place), Kelley Louise (Impact Travel Alliance), and Greg Takehara (Tourism Cares).
Speakers in Lake Placid will include Linda Ayares, Nicky Hylton-Patterson (Adirondack Diversity Initiative), Karen Kuhl (Cayuga County Tourism), and Romey Louangvilay (ELMNTL). Tickets can be purchased by visiting: https://bit.ly/TUSummit2021
For more information about Travel Unity and to donate funds to the nonprofit’s programs, visit www.TravelUnity.org.
About Travel Unity
Founded in 2016, Travel Unity is a 501(c)(3) focused on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment. For the travel industry, Travel Unity provides certification, training, workshops, DEI audits, and other services around DEI. For individuals, Travel Unity provides educational opportunities to youth, people with disabilities, and other under-represented groups to learn about travel as a means of personal and professional development.
About ROOST
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York State. In October 2020, ROOST announced the organization was selected to participate in a diversity, equity, and inclusion pilot program with Travel Unity.
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