As a values-led company, we understand how important it is to show up for our customers during the moments that matter most to truly impact culture. Our 2023 Cultural Travel Guide Series campaign further reinforces our ongoing commitment to show and promote greater diversity and inclusivity in the travel industry.
Each post across the campaign was created in collaboration with organizations, creators and alliance airlines who share Delta’s values and commitment to creating a more welcoming world within the travel industry.
In sparking social conversation around inclusive destinations, we hoped to encourage our community to take action to travel and become more immersed in other cultures by learning about them through the lens of trending destinations.
We celebrate communities of people and cultures all throughout the year, but with this travel guide series in particular we spotlighted diverse communities to learn more about their cultures around the world during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, and Latin and Hispanic Heritage Month
In order to show up authentically, we wanted this campaign to speak from the voice of the campaign’s featured partners rather than Delta. To achieve this goal, we first had to identify the right organizations and influencers who could co-create travel guide content. Next, we encouraged them to share travel tips and ideas for cultural immersion that reflected their unique travel styles and perspectives.
We then tailored each partners’ recommendations and insights into a series of Instagram feed posts and stories. Finally, we paired each travel guide with user-generated content of diverse travelers to ensure the campaign’s imagery would feel native, relevant, and true to real experiences.
The campaign and education didn’t end at posting. We viewed comments of all kinds as an opportunity to share the “why” behind our actions and reinforce our values with our community. For example, in reaction to a comment made toward this campaign saying “just sell plane tickets,” we responded by reminding the commentator and our community that while “we may be an airline, at the core of everything we do is people…that means striving toward equity for all communities we serve by using our platform to celebrate them and bring them closer to travel.”
As we reflect on this ongoing campaign to date, we have partnered with 4 organizations (Black & Abroad, She is Not Lost, IGLTA, and LATAM) and 3 travel influencers (Nelson Yong, Grace Kim, and Fiona Chen) to help us celebrate some of the most welcoming, inclusive, and culturally inspirational destinations all year long.
We know that in order for people to feel welcomed while traveling, they need to first see themselves represented. And Delta’s social-first Cultural Travel Guide Series is one of the many ways we are working to diversify travel culture by accurately showcasing diverse groups traveling and sharing their stories. So far this year, the campaign has collectively driven 1.3M total impressions and 52.4K engagements organically.
In collaboration with our campaign partners, the campaign has sparked positive sentiment for discovery travel, as reflected through a sample of comments is below:
