Destinations International (DI), the world’s largest membership entity and resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), has announced its partnership with Paradise Advertising & Marketing Inc. (Paradise) for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) brand marketing initiatives. The announcement was made during the Recognition Celebration event which kicked off DI’s Annual Convention being held July 18-20 in Dallas, Texas. 

“Destinations International is committed to creating spaces and places in the travel industry that promote a true sense of welcoming and belonging for people of all backgrounds and abilities. We are energized to work with Paradise, a leader in both EDI and the CVB sectors, to help market and promote our EDI strategy and initiatives on a global level.”

Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International

In 2017, Destinations International embarked on a strategic approach to advance social inclusion topics across the organization and among its members. From annual EDI research on member destinations, the EDI Assessment Tool and its derivative data, hiring the organization’s chief diversity officer and establishing key EDI initiatives in 2022, to an EDI committee, subcommittees, and yearlong table talk discussions, Destinations International continues to ensure EDI is at the forefront for itself and its members.

The organization has identified five key EDI goals in which Paradise will provide brand marketing and communications support:

• Enhance the overall DI membership benefits.
• Raise awareness for EDI among all DI members.
• Grow adoption of EDI strategic plan among DI members.
• Increase DI member utilization of EDI offerings.
• Collaborate on DI’s inaugural EDI Summit.

“Commitment to EDI is intrinsically part of the DNA of every Paradise team member and we are so proud to serve as EDI brand marketing stewards for Destinations International. We look forward to working together to inspire and transform the hearts and minds of stakeholder audiences and implement DI’s bold EDI strategy for the benefit of its members, our industry, and the world we all share.”

Barbara Karasek, Paradise chairwoman, CEO and co-owner and DI EDI Committee member

Later in 2023, Destinations International plans to unveil six core EDI strategic priorities that are critical to growth, innovation, and creating spaces and places that champion welcoming and belonging and identify three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) which align with DI’s EDI strategy.

About Destinations International
Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors’ bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. With more than 6,000 members and partners from over 600 destinations, the association represents a powerful forward-thinking and collaborative community around the world. For more information, visit destinationsinternational.org.