Travel Unity

06/20/2026

Happy Travel Unity Day!

We are only $75 away from our 10th anniversary goal! Please consider donating $10 for 10 years of Travel Unity.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/travel-unity/10-for-10-years-of-travel-unity

06/19/2026

We're honored that June 20, 2026 has been proclaimed Travel Unity Day in Westchester County.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we're especially grateful to be recognized by the county that has been home to Travel Unity since our founding.

The proclamation highlights our work in conferences, scholarships, workforce development, and partnerships, as well as our efforts to help create a more welcoming travel industry.

This recognition belongs to the many volunteers, board members, members, partners, students, and supporters who have helped shape Travel Unity over the past decade.

If you'd like to help us celebrate 10 years of impact, please consider contributing $10 to our 10th anniversary campaign.

Donate: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/travel-unity/10-for-10-years-of-travel-unity

06/12/2026

10 years ago, Travel Unity set out to give travel professionals a real path toward inclusive practice. Our certification programs are a big part of how we do that.

From the Travel Unity Individual Certificate (TUIC) for entry-level professionals, to the Travel DEI Practitioner (TDP) for managers, to the Certified Diversity Travel Professional (CDTP) for executives, and the Certified by Travel Unity (CBTU) for organizations, these programs give people a credible, structured way to demonstrate their commitment.

Because claiming a commitment to inclusion is easy. Having a framework, a standard, and a recognized credential to back it up is what separates intention from action.

Learn more about our certifications at: travelunity.org/certifications

Donate $10 for 10 years at: https://www.travelunity.org/donate/

Travel Unity certifications help individuals and organizations move from commitment to action through practical frameworks, measurable progress, and industry-recognized credentials.

06/08/2026

Travel Unity mourns the passing of John Tanzella, whose leadership of IGLTA expanded opportunities for LGBTQ+ travelers and industry professionals around the world.

We extend our condolences to John's family, friends, colleagues, and the entire IGLTA community.

To honor his memory, consider a donation to the IGLTA Foundation.

IGLTA Foundation

06/05/2026

June 20th is Travel Unity's 10th anniversary, and we're starting the celebration early with our June Alliance Meeting on Tuesday, June 16th from 1-2 PM ET.

This one is open to everyone. Whether you've been part of our community for years or are just discovering what we do, come network, connect, and hear about how you can be part of our next decade of work.

Register here: https://www.tixtree.com/e/june-travel-unity-alliance-meeting-celebrating-10-years-of-travel-unity-362e76d8db7c

06/03/2026

Travel can be a force for justice, peace, and responsibility to place. We'll be exploring exactly that at this year's RISE Travel Institute Annual Conference, where our Executive Director Roni Weiss is moderating the panel "Travel, Justice and Peace: Expanding the Circle of Responsibility." 🌍

He'll be in conversation with James Nadiope, Carol Kline, and Shai Goren about how tourism can support communities facing harm, address animal exploitation, and build more accountable forms of encounter and peacebuilding. ✈️🤝

Together they'll look beyond destination marketing to ask who shapes the story of a place, and how tourism can uplift community agency, stewardship, and regenerative relationships to people and planet. 🌱

📆 Thursday, June 11, 2026
🕛 12:00–4:30 p.m. EDT (panel 1:20–2:05 p.m.)
📍 Virtual

Register here: https://www.risetravelinstitute.org/2026-annual-conference

06/01/2026

We are turning 10 this June, and we want to hear from YOU.

Over the past decade, Travel Unity has been building a community around one belief: that travel should be welcoming to everyone, everywhere, always.

As we celebrate this milestone, we are collecting stories from the people who have been part of this journey. Whether you joined the Alliance, attended a summit, took a course, or simply shared our mission with someone who needed to hear it, your story matters.

What has inclusive travel meant to you? What has Travel Unity meant to you?

Selected stories will be featured later this month as we close out our anniversary celebration.

Here is to 10 years and everything still to come.

Share your story here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCjDGGOo-W562P1SmeLrTn7wTiXFa6ctupBt2RDA1Ob679JQ/viewform?usp=header

05/27/2026

Our Executive Director Roni Weiss heading to Caribbean Week

From June 1-5, 2026, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is bringing Caribbean Week to the InterContinental New York Times Square, and our Executive Director will be leading Inclusive Tourism Marketing: Understanding Today's Travelers and Building More Welcoming Destinations alongside Donna Keren, former EVP of Research & Insights at New York City Tourism + Conventions , and Reginald Charlot, former VP of Tourism Market Development at NYC Tourism + Conventions on Tuesday June 2nd.

This two-hour workshop is built for destination professionals ready to move beyond surface-level inclusion and into real strategy. Participants will explore how traveler expectations are shifting, how inclusion standards can sharpen marketing and visitor experience, and how research can reveal who your destination is reaching and who it's missing.

Whether you work in luxury travel, international markets, or destination strategy, this session will give you practical tools to connect inclusive messaging to actual destination practice.

Register now: https://caribbeanweek.onecaribbean.org/

05/27/2026

Our Executive Director, Roni Weiss, will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee this Saturday for the 2026 Bessie Awards and the WITS Travel Creator Summit. The ceremony is streaming LIVE and you're invited to join from anywhere in the world. 🎉

The Bessie Awards honor bold leaders, storytellers, founders, advocates, and brands driving positive change in travel, all named after the trailblazing Bessie Coleman, the first woman of African American and Native American descent to earn a pilot's license.

This year's ceremony recognizes finalists across nine categories, including:
🏆 Creator of the Year
🏆 Social Impact Award
🏆 Travel Startup of the Year
🏆 Lifetime Achievement Award..and more.

The best part? It's completely free to watch via YouTube Livestream. And if you can't make it live, registering still gets you access to the replay.

📅 Saturday, May 30 | 8:00 PM ET
📍 Free YouTube Livestream

👉 Register to watch: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2026-bessie-awards-live-celebration-livestream-tickets-1989611749301?aff=oddtdtcreator