This year, Hurtigruten Group formed the advisory board for Black Travel, a six-member panel that met for the first time aboard Hurtigruten Expeditions Roald Amundsen as it sailed to Antarctica in February. Stephanie Jones, Chair of the Board, Marketing Strategist and Founder and CEO of the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, spoke with Cruise Editor Andrea Zielinski about ways to advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in cruises in general and in Hurtigruten specifically.
Stephanie Jones
s: How well do cruise lines approach DEI?
a: Many of them are still trying to figure out where to start. Who do we start with? Shall we start from the inside? This is where I would always advise the company to start, because it is very difficult for you to show diversity and inclusion externally if you haven’t taken it internally yet. In general in the cruise industry, I can’t say everyone is on the same page with how they handle DEI.
Cruise lines like Carnival and even Royal Caribbean may not have to do as much marketing for black travelers because they tend to offer cruises to warmer destinations, which is where black travelers or cruisers prefer to go, like the Caribbean. On the other hand, a company like Hurtigruten holds a special niche when it comes to the type of cruise adventures to the colder parts of the world, like Antarctica. Those are places that many black travelers have not traditionally traveled to. Not that black travelers don’t have the desire for it, but if you’re not marketed when it comes to a unique experience, you’re unaware of it, and then not quite sure if you can access it.
s: What are some perceptions black travelers have of Hurtigruten cruises?
a: I always use myself as an example. When Hurtigruten called me and said, “We want you to go to Antarctica,” I’m like, “Do I really want to go to Antarctica?” The first thing you think of is a cold, and that’s just not me. Many people think it is an unattractive place that they want to visit because it is very cold. And what can you do in Antarctica? It was smart of them to invite the board of directors on one of their cruises so we could try it out.
s: Why is direct experience so important?
a: For the board to be on that cruise and share it with our networks and social media, and for other blacks to see a group of black people in Antarctica, how often does that happen? I’ve already started a conversation. Lots of people on all of my social sites, whether they’re black or white, they’re all like, “Wow, I can’t believe you’re going to Antarctica. I really want to continue your journey. I want to know more.” There is an educational component that I think Hurtigruten especially needs – both among travelers in general, but especially black travelers – to understand what the trip includes and why it is a destination that people should consider. So that people can see that I can go with my daughter and go with another group of black people and have a great experience, other people say, “I want to do this too.”
We, as a board, can give their marketing and sales department some real feedback on how to really market this experience to people of color so that you connect with them, so they feel like you’re addressing the concerns of a lot of people you have but not talking about them when deciding where to go.
s: How can you achieve lasting change?
a: The key to DEI is sustainability. We exist to hold Hurtigruten accountable, but we also work with them to advise them and share thought leadership on: How do they market to black travelers? How do they hire more blacks who want to work on their ships? How do they contract or find minority suppliers who can supply them with soaps or lotions and things like that? That would equate to sustainability.
It’s great to be diversified and inclusive, but at the end of the day, if these opportunities aren’t just putting money in people’s pockets and generating revenue for businesses, they’ve missed out on the point.
