As the United States approaches its historic 250th anniversary and Travel Unity marks a decade of advocacy, the 2026 Virtual Spring Summit brought together industry pioneers, destination stewards, and community leaders. This four-day series of dialogues serves as both a celebration of structural progress and an honest examination of the challenges that remain in building a travel ecosystem rooted in true freedom and belonging for all.
A series of dialogues that celebrate progress while honestly examining how far we still have to go toward freedom and belonging for all.
The future of travel resilience relies on welcoming a majority-minority demographic.
Strategizing how to position diversity and inclusion not just as social goals, but as core elements of regional tourism business plans.
Best practices for travel brands, tourism boards, and hospitality networks to accurately represent and appeal to multicultural audiences, specifically women, minorities, youth, and travelers with disabilities.
How local communities and larger state entities (such as the New York State Division of Tourism) can work together to promote accessible and welcoming destinations.
Monday, March 23, 2026
Virtual Sessions
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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12:00–1:00 PM ET
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Destinations Under Federal Pressure
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Jaimee Hendrickson, Visit Saint Paul
Melvin Tennant II, Meet Minneapolis |
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1:00–2:00 PM ET
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Association Pulse Checks
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Dona Regis-Prosper, Caribbean Tourism Organization
Keith Henry, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada |
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Virtual Sessions
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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12:00–1:00 PM ET
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Public Lands, Public Memory: American Stories at 250
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Nikki Padilla Rivera (moderator)
Alan Sparks, National Parks Conservation Association |
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1:00–2:00 PM ET
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America, the Land I Still Love: Choosing and Building a Life in the U.S.
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Florian Herrmann
Vincie Ho |
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Virtual Sessions
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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12:00–1:00 PM ET
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Innovation, Technology, and the Human Experience
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David Doan
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1:00–2:00 PM ET
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The Future of the Travel Workforce
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Sara Meaney, Coraggio Group
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Thursday, March 26, 2026
Virtual Sessions
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TIME
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TOPIC
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SPEAKER
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12:00–1:00 PM ET
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Local Action: How Your Voice Drives Community Change
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1:00–2:00 PM ET
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Caught in the Middle: Destinations in Uncertain Times
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Rondel Holder, NYC Tourism + Conventions
Roz Stuttley, Choose Chicago Ka Vang, Meet Minneapolis |
A major focal point of the summit was how public lands and destinations are preparing for the upcoming U.S. Semiquincentennial. Instead of traditional historical narratives, panels focused heavily on unearthing missing pieces of history.
The Takeaway: True destination resilience means creating space for “public memory” that reflects all communities. Speakers emphasized that the milestone anniversary shouldn’t just look back at the past 250 years with a single lens, but should actively elevate marginalized, indigenous, and immigrant narratives to set a baseline for the next century of American travel.
Marking 10 years of Travel Unity, leadership panels from major tourism associations openly assessed structural shifts in internal DEI metrics over the last decade.
The Takeaway: The industry is successfully moving away from purely performative statements and shift-reactive initiatives. The focus has decisively landed on operationalizing accountability—specifically by deploying DEI Event Standards and rigorous regional auditing to build measurable, long-term frameworks.
With massive digital acceleration and AI integration changing how people navigate travel, the summit tackled the operational friction between automated tools and hospitality’s core identity.
The Takeaway: Modernizing digital accessibility is vital, but technology must complement rather than replace authentic human connectivity. Leaders noted that as the travel space automates manual processes, the industry’s real value proposition lies in double-downing on empathy, interpersonal culture, and emotional intelligence in the field.
Addressing severe workforce shortages and evolving employment demands, panel discussions offered concrete strategies for attracting next-generation hospitality talent.
The Takeaway: To attract and retain a diverse workforce, travel brands and DMOs must align with the values of a mission-driven generation. This means embedding community advocacy, flexible operational pathways, and explicit commitment to inclusion directly into the organizational framework—treating workforce equity as a core business health metric rather than an HR afterthought.
Explore additional summit archives and initiatives.
