Share Your Feedback on Boycotts and Bans in Industry-Wide Survey

Survey will help drive work of addressing collaboration over cancellation.

By Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International

Please click here for the survey.

Over the course of the last few years, many destinations have found themselves in a situation where political decisions and human rights issues have impacted the appeal of the destination to convention business.

Destinations International, the global trade association for convention and visitors’ bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards, has long believed in travel’s ability to be a profound force for good, moving national economies, societies, and identities forward like no other sector can. We are opposed to using travel as a political weapon. No matter how well intentioned, boycotts and bans are counterproductive to the travel and tourism industry and the diverse group of individuals who make up the industry.

We understand why these boycotts and bans make sense; however, we encourage political engagement and an action-based, researched approach to help impact political change.

We at Destinations International are committed to raising awareness around the challenges and effects of boycotts and bans and are working with industry partners to promote the value of collaboration over cancellation. We are in close collaboration with the leaders of the key industry associations to address this critical issue. They too are committed to finding an amicable solution.

To gauge the impact on destinations, hotels and event organizers, we are encouraging one representative from every business events organization to complete our survey around this topic by 31 December 2022. Please complete this survey here.

The results will drive the work of addressing the issues surrounding this topic and will help Destinations International create opportunities to collaborate with industry partners. If you have questions, please reach out directly to Emily Scheiderer at escheiderer@destinationsinternational.org.

As we continue to work towards an industry shift in this area, we greatly appreciate your partnership and support in helping us collect the data we need.

Don Welsh is a seasoned tourism executive with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. He has held positions with almost every sector within the travel and tourism industry. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Destinations International, the global trade association for convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards. 

Destinations International is an EIC Member.