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To diversify its reach in the hospitality industry, the San Diego Tourism Authority is launching a new program to benefit businesses of colored, LGBTQ +, women, and veterans.
The pilot, which tourism officials say is one of the first of its kind in the country, aims to promote equity and inclusion in the industry, including through free office membership, mentoring, education and networking opportunities with a more diverse population.
Bank of America and San Diego Gas & Electric are the co-sponsors of the pilot program, which offers participants a package of services valued at over $ 10,000, including free tourism board membership, mentoring from a successful operator or hospitality business owner , Financial coaching, and legal education, and $ 1,000 credit towards the tourism agency’s digital advertising platforms.
Advertising opportunities in the San Diego Business Journal and San Diego Magazine are also offered.
Initially, the program will be open to 10 participants, but the tourism authority hopes to raise additional funding to expand the initiative.
In light of the race census that has hit the country since the assassination of George Floyd last year, the tourism board decided to want to do more to promote diversity and equity in their own industry, said Julie Coker, CEO of the tourism bureau.
“When we looked at the tourism recovery roadmap, we wanted to make sure we had justice, diversity and inclusion at the table,” said Coker. “We thought who could be part of our industry from a business perspective? We just felt there was an opportunity here to support minority-owned businesses that helped underserved populations, and we wanted to make sure everyone benefits when tourism returns. “
Categories of businesses that can get help for free include restaurants, retail stores, activities and attractions, museums, transportation, and meeting and event organizations.
Hospitality businesses that are excluded from the program are accommodation providers, airlines and cruise lines.
Bank of America and San Diego Gas & Electric are making financial contributions to the initiative, and law firm Procopio will volunteer their time for legal education, Coker said. The tourist office will not have any out-of-pocket expenses as some of the perks offered to small businesses are through business and in-kind donations.
The application deadline for participation in the program ends on November 5th. The selected people will be notified by November 15th. To apply, visit https://www.sandiego.org/accelerator.
“Some of the companies may not know how they can benefit from travel and tourism, so this is an opportunity to introduce them to travel and tourism,” said Coker. “We also hope that the advertisements on offer will help them attract additional customers. So the whole goal is to help minority-owned companies grow their presence in San Diego. “
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