First of Its Kind Research Uncovers Barriers to Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+ and Travelers With Disabilities

SEATTLE, September 4, 2024 /3BL/ - Expedia Group released Journeys for All: An Expedia Group Study on Inclusion in Travel — a first of its kind study that equips the travel industry with key insights and evidence-based recommendations to improve the travel experience for underserved groups, including Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+ and travelers with disabilities.

Underserved travelers are a large part of the global market, but their needs are often overlooked. Underserved groups in the U.S. are projected to grow significantly, increasing their impact on the travel market. As such, the travel industry has an obligation to meet the needs of underserved travelers and develop efforts that discourage barriers such as bias, discrimination and lack of personal safety. Expedia Group’s new report highlights urgent industry challenges and key insights to drive progress:

• Forty-two percent of underserved travelers feel limited by their identities when planning travel.
• 5+ hours is the extra time underserved travelers spend researching to plan trips, including to ensure services and destinations are safe, welcoming and accessible.
• Only 16% of travelers feel that travel advertising and promotions represent them authentically.
• Seventy-one percent of underserved travelers say it is important that travel company staff be well-trained on diversity and inclusion issues and topics.
• Nearly 3 out of 4 underserved travelers are more likely to book with companies demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This study assesses the needs of underserved groups across all three stages of the travel journey — planning, in-transit and at destination. According to the report, 20% of LGBTQIA+ travelers with disabilities say travel advertisements do not represent them at all. More than a quarter (26%) of Latino travelers with disabilities say they feel a need to hide their identities when traveling to and from their destination, compared to just seven percent of the general population. This data reinforces that most travelers identify with more than one underrepresented group and thus, have multiple reasons for concerns when traveling — from safety to accessibility to feeling welcomed.

“Evolving business strategies to create more welcoming and inclusive travel experiences should be an industry imperative,” says Greg Schulze, chief commercial officer and president, Travel Partnerships and Media, Expedia Group. “It not only improves the traveler experience, but it’s also good for business. This study invites the industry to come together and take action because everyone should be able to experience the joy of travel and its ability to strengthen connections and broaden horizons.”

In 2022, Expedia Group launched its Open World™ strategy to begin addressing inequities across the travel industry, as part of the company’s larger commitment to remove barriers and open access to travel to all. Since then, the company has launched two signature programs — its Open World Accelerator and Made to Travel Fund to realize this commitment.

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Research Sources:

¹All demographic data presented here refers to the United States population and is based on projections and characteristics sourced from the U.S. Census and the Human Rights Campaign.

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