San Diego Kicks Off Diversity Initiative

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The San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) has chosen participants for its Tourism Accelerator pilot program, which was created to "promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the local tourism industry by providing free membership, mentoring, education and networking opportunities to businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans and those who identify as LGBTQ+," SDTA said.

The 10 businesses, which were chosen from almost 50 applicants, reflect "the diversity of the region and the industry, embracing a wide range of business types with owners from a variety of backgrounds," SDTA said.

Just some of the participants include a public relations agency, restaurants, an events company and an improv company.

The program, which is scheduled to kick off in January 2022, is sponsored by the U.S. by Bank of America and San Diego Gas & Electric.

The portfolio of services includes coaching from an operator or owner of a tourism or hospitality business, financial coaching, legal training, a $500 voucher for a University of California San Diego Extension course, $1,000 credit for SDTA's digital advertising platforms and more.

Going forward, SDTA President and CEO Julie Coker noted that the tourism authority plans to expand the pilot program into an annual one while also increasing the number of participants.

"The goal of this Tourism Accelerator [program] is to increase the number of diverse businesses in our membership base, because that will give our visitors more diverse products from which to choose," she said.

"When we grow the number of diverse businesses, we are helping to ensure the local tourism recovery is equitable for everyone, and that is a win-win for our residents and our visitors."