USTOA Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainability and DEI Programs

Image: PHOTO: Terry Dale speaking at USTOA in Scottsdale (photo courtesy USTOA)

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Fri January 24, 2025

While the new presidential administration has set its sights on undoing federal measures and funding related to sustainability and DEI, the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) is reaffirming its commitment to such important efforts.

The organization issued a statement today on the topic signed by USTOA’s Terry Dale in which Dale underscored continued dedication to both issues.

"As 2025 is fully upon us and we welcome new co-chairs to the USTOA Sustainability Committee, we would like to take a moment to reaffirm our commitment to the core principals of the USTOA Sustainability Promise," Dale said in the message.

“USTOA believes that travel is a force for good, and as such, we will continue to focus on sustainability and DEI,” the statement continued. “The USTOA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and you, our members, remain steadfast in our support of efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion industry wide.”

Dale added that USTOA’s commitment to ongoing education, advocacy, and responsible travel practices “is unwavering.”

USTOA also plans to continue to work to ensure that such values are maintained in the evolving landscape of the travel industry, the statement added.

Also this week on the DEI front, the San Diego Tourism Authority announced the selected participants for its 2025 DEI Tourism Accelerator program.

The selected business owners include several Black, women-owned businesses, as well as Asian, women-owned businesses and Latina, women-owned businesses. A veteran-owned business and a veteran, Black, woman-owned business are also part of the current cohort mix.

San Diego's DEI Accelerator program is now in its fourth year and was one of the first of its kind in the country. The program was created specifically to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the city’s local tourism industry.

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Mia Taylor

Senior Editor

Mia Taylor is an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience. Most recently she worked as a staff writer for America's largest digital publisher DotdashMeredith, where she contributed stories on a daily basis to four of the company's most iconic brands - Parents,Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and Health. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Boston Globe, The San Diego UnionTribune, Westways Magazine, Fortune, and more.