Performative to Practical: Rethinking Inclusive Marketing in Tourism
Take a look at these examples of ‘inclusive’ travel marketing.
A tour business launches a women’s-only trip for female empowerment on International Women’s Day.
A destination’s new campaign centres a diverse group of friends - different races, one person in a wheelchair, different body types - laughing over cocktails.
A major travel corporation posts #BlackLivesMatter statements during major protests and switches its logo to a rainbow for Pride Month.
Would you describe these practices as inclusive? On the surface, many people would. And we know from our time in the industry that usually, the intentions behind them are genuinely positive. But what happens if we take a step back and look beyond the campaign to the reality underneath?
The women’s-only trip for ‘female empowerment’ is actually led by male guides, doesn’t partner with any local women‑run businesses, and doesn’t provide clear harassment or reporting procedures.
The destination that showcased diversity in its campaign has no accessibility information on the website, no guidance for disabled travellers on local transport, and no support for Black‑or brown‑owned tourism businesses.
The corporation that posts #BlackLivesMatter and Pride rainbows has an all-white leadership team, has never published data or targets on improving representation, and fails to protect LGBTQ+ staff and guests from discrimination.
This is where so‑called ‘inclusive marketing’ becomes performative. It’s when businesses say one thing, but their actions do another. They use the language and imagery of diversity and empowerment, but don’t embody those practices within their own operations.
The consequences of performative inclusive marketing in tourism
A pushback you might hear against this is that marketing is a completely separate department from operations. But customers don’t experience departments; they experience the whole product. The campaign tells them what to expect, and the product should deliver it. When a brand positions itself as inclusive but fails to provide the basics behind that message, it runs the risk both for the business and for the traveller.
For the business, it risks damaging its reputation, trust and credibility - all the things that are vital to the longevity of a business. Today’s travellers are far savvier at spotting the gap, openly challenging brands that rely on surface-level representation. Something we’ve noticed at the Inclusive Travel Forum is that tourism businesses are more conscious of the fact that they are operating in a more polarised environment now. Inclusive messaging attracts scrutiny from multiple directions. Get it wrong, and they risk being called out for tokenism or performative allyship. Say nothing, and they can be criticised for silence. But speaking up without real substance behind it also leaves the door open to backlash from those who dismiss inclusion as being “too woke.”
For the traveller, performative marketing can mean arriving with certain expectations of safety, accessibility, or welcome, only to find barriers or exclusion in reality. Tourism is also unique in that its marketing isn’t only depicting customers. It often uses local people and cultures as part of the experience being sold. Extra-sensitivity needs to be held around how local people are represented, without slipping into stereotypes, tokenism and exploitation.
So what does practical inclusive marketing look like?
If you’re feeling some confusion about the separation between marketing and operations, that’s understandable. In practice, they’re closely linked. If there’s one thing you take away from this article, let it be this: practical inclusive marketing is simply marketing an inclusive product. It isn’t something you bolt onto a campaign with imagery and language. It begins behind the scenes, with how the business behaves, not how it brands itself. The product, operations and internal culture come first, and then from there, marketing can tell the story honestly.
That being said, tourism does have additional considerations beyond internal culture and product design. Inclusive marketing also needs to account for:
→ Local representation. Tourism marketing often draws on people and culture to sell the feeling of a place, which carries its own responsibilities. Brands need to avoid turning local communities into background scenery, leaning on stereotypes, or using “authenticity” as a shortcut. Actions:
Partner with local creators, guides and community organisations to decide which stories and images feel accurate and respectful.
Budget for paying local people who appear in campaigns and credit them by name or role where appropriate.
Build a simple internal rule: “Nothing about local people without local sign‑off.”
→ Accessibility accuracy. In travel, vague language can be more than unhelpful. Practical inclusive marketing is clear about what the experience involves, including terrain, distances, steps, transport, and what support is realistically available. Actions:
Replace vague terms like “accessible” or “easy walk” with specifics.
Create a standard accessibility checklist for all products and publish it on product pages.
Invite disabled travellers to audit your descriptions once a year and update language accordingly.
→ Safety realities. Inclusion is often communicated through warm, welcoming messaging, but for many travellers, safety is central. Marketing should not suggest safety without the policies, staff training and procedures to back it up.
Only imply safety (e.g. “great for solo women/queer travellers”) if you have clear policies, trained staff and response procedures.
Add a “Safety and Support” section to key pages outlining what you can and cannot guarantee.
Provide pre‑arrival guidance (e.g. local laws, dress norms, emergency contacts) in confirmation emails.
→ Consent and ethics in imagery. Tourism content is frequently captured in public spaces and cultural settings, which raises questions about consent and control. If local people are featured in campaigns, it should be intentional and respectful, with clear permission, fair payment and appropriate credit.
Get written consent when individuals are clearly identifiable in promotional shots, and explain where the content will appear.
Avoid using images from sensitive cultural or spiritual settings without explicit community approval.
Build a do‑not‑use list of images if consent is unclear or dated.
→ Community impact. Tourism marketing can increase demand quickly, sometimes faster than places can accommodate it without strain. Practical inclusive marketing considers who benefits, who bears the costs and whether the story being told encourages respect rather than extraction.
Sense‑check campaigns with local partners: “If this goes viral, what could go wrong here?”
Include messaging that normalises respectful behaviour (e.g. visiting outside peak times, staying on paths, supporting local businesses).
Where appropriate, highlight community‑owned experiences rather than only external operators.
Finally, we wanted to share one last tip. If you’re not ready to market inclusion with confidence, start with transparency. It’s better to say, “This is where we are right now, and this is what we’re improving,” than to put out a glossy campaign that doesn’t match the experience. People can forgive imperfections, but they lose trust quickly when they feel misled.
If you need more help on this subject, join us for our upcoming webinar, ‘Inclusive Marketing and Storytelling in a Polarised World.’ This practical training session will help travel professionals communicate with confidence, clarity and credibility, without alienating customers or diluting brand values. Spaces are limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible.
If your organisation is committed to progressing inclusion in travel, consider joining the Inclusive Travel Forum as a member.
