Experts urged travel brands to improve representation across their storytelling and within their organisations to better diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) in the industry.

Documentary photographer and triple amputee Giles Duley - who worked with Celebrity Cruises on its most recent campaign, The All-Inclusive Photo Project – said a lack of representation within the industry was deterring those with disabilities from travelling and insisted the solution “started with stories”.

He said: “Most people I know who have disabilities tend not to travel. They tend not to because it scares them, it's challenging. There have been a lot of stories recently of people stuck on flights in wheelchairs, wheelchairs damaged, it happens in so many areas. So we see less people travelling, especially in luxury travel.

“The first step is the imagery because people say, 'I didn't see myself there'. If I'm not represented, I don't feel like I'm welcome. 

“Personally, if I'm going to travel somewhere, I want to hear stories from somebody with a disability and how they experienced it. That builds confidence.”

The All-Inclusive Photo Project showcases models, musicians, athletes, artists, activists and refugees from underrepresented groups enjoying holidays on Celebrity Cruises' ships.

Jo Rzymowska, the line’s vice-president and managing director of the EMEA region, said Celebrity Cruises had worked hard to ensure its messaging reflected the diverse nature of its client base.

 “All of our guests are from numerous different cultures, numerous different backgrounds, and we're taking them to the most incredible destinations so it was really important that we needed to make that change because we weren't displaying what the reality was of the world,” she said.

Mathu Premaruban, head of global communications at Brand USA, agreed that imagery is “the key” to improving DEAI in the industry.

She said: “Representation does matter. The number of times I go through a magazine and very rarely do I see pictures of people like me enjoying a luxury holiday or sitting on a beach. We need to get better at the imagery.”

Premaruban also identified language as a primary challenge.

She said: “There's a tendency in luxury travel in particular to romanticise colonialism and the very fact that we still use that language [is problematic]. Having those conversations of how you tell that story, the perspective, [is important].”

New York City is a prime example of a destination getting its storytelling right, according to Premaruban, who highlighted the city’s recent guides, The Black Experience in NYC and Halal Travel Guide, which spotlight relevant restaurants, bars and exhibitions helmed by marginalised communities. 

“It's really important for the traveller to understand how they can enjoy this, but also for locals and [those] learning how to sell that product,” she said.

“It’s really important for the trade to actually identify diverse stakeholders. That's been some of the conversations we've been having internally. How do we tell that story?”

Diversity within teams

But Premaruban said companies must also strive to have diversity within their own teams for their messaging to be truly authentic.  

“Using imagery and words is so incredibly powerful, but unless you have diverse storytellers [it doesn’t matter],” she said.

“It shouldn't just be a buzzword. We've now got to actually start taking action. We've got to make that shift.”

Duley agreed, warning companies against “fake authenticity”.

He said: “Anybody wanting to widen the communities that they appeal to in their storytelling, it is about making sure that the decision makers also come from those marginalised groups.

“You have to bring in those communities that you want to work with. If you want to increase your diversity in terms of your customers, you have to increase your diversity in the company.

“And if you are doing something like a photographic project, then bring people in from those communities to work on the project. Don't make the assumption, 'I'm going to decide how they should be represented', because that's where the problems are. That's where, trust me, anybody that comes from a marginalised community can see fake authenticity so easily and it just puts you off the brand.”

Rzymowska said the pandemic had allowed Celebrity Cruises time to “reset and rethink”, with the company looking more closely at gender equality. Currently 32% of the line’s crew on the bridge is female, but Rzymowska said she “won’t be happy” until half of the line’s 15 ships are helmed by women. 

Tolene van der Merwe, director of the UK and Ireland for Malta Tourism Authority, said the tourist board had “started from the bottom up” and given sensitivity training to tourism staff on the ground like waiters and receptionists ahead of the destination hosting EuroPride in 2023.

Malta Tourism Authority will also host an LGBT-friendly fam trip later this year to help agents better understand the country’s inclusive offering, and has invested in a trade trainer to further support the travel trade community in the areas of disability and inclusion.

She said: “We're constantly learning. New things are constantly coming into play. As a destination, we have to always think completely outside of the box and not do what we have been doing every year over and over again.”

Premaruban said she believes key performance indicators (KPIs) should be brought in to monitor each organisation’s DEAI progress and hold them accountable.

She said: “If it gets measured it gets done. For the past two years, there’s been so much conversation around ‘what do we need to do? How can we make it more effective?’ I think companies need to put KPIs in.

“It's a difficult topic but I don't think people should be afraid. We've got to get used to being uncomfortable on some of the conversations. When it gets a bit too difficult or controversial, everyone immediately steps back. What if we actually said, ‘Right we're going to have a quota in place that says we'll have this many people behind the camera' [for example].”