As the organization that promotes and encourages meetings and visitation to our city, Experience Columbus also proudly promotes the characteristics of our city that make it worth visiting, one of the most valuable of which is our diversity and includes our commitment to social and racial justice. We intend to continue to find ways to stand up to social justice.
About the Diversity Apprenticeship Program
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) employees and leaders are vastly underrepresented in the travel and hospitality industry. In an effort to create more leadership pathways for people of color, Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, in collaboration with Tourism Diversity Matters, launched the Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP). The Diversity Apprenticeship Program provides a paid, hands-on, on-the-job experience for people who identify as to work across multiple departments (i.e., guest services, event planning, marketing, sales, finance, etc.) in travel industry organizations. Upon successfully completing 600 working hours, over a period of six months, the apprentice(s) will be offered a full-time, manager-level position or higher, at one of the participating partner locations.
The DAP is a way that Columbus is committing to actionable change to better diversity in the hospitality industry. Residents and visitors alike can and should expect hospitality workers to reflect themselves.
The DAP is a way that Columbus is committing to actionable change to better diversity in the hospitality industry. Residents and visitors alike can and should expect hospitality workers to reflect themselves.
Columbus Declares Racism a Public Health Crisis
As we reflect on the past year, we are proud of how individuals, businesses and leaders around Columbus are working toward ways that our community can productively and peacefully take much-needed civil action to dismantle racism and advance racial equity. Experience Columbus is proud to be among nearly 3,000 local business leaders who successfully petitioned for Columbus City Council to declare racism a public health crisis.
Dan Williams, vice president, convention sales and services, and six other Black tourism leaders answered ‘5 Questions About Race’ in a video on 'Why Race Matters."
