The hospitality and tourism industries have historically done a bad job when it comes to diversity, but it could be "turning the corner," according to Andy Ingraham, president, founder and CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers.
During a conversation as part of the Independent Lodging Congress' Instagram Live Series, Ingraham said diversity in the industry unfortunately wasn't a priority before the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer.
"I think there’s a consciousness that has happened. A number of new board members have been appointed for the first time on many different boards that are African American. [There are] a number of opportunities that have made themselves available to people of color," he said.
Still, many people of color leave the industry because they "can't seem to break through that glass ceiling," he said.
NABHOOD is dedicated to making the industry more inclusive "through ownership, through management" and through companies that not only hire people of color, but provide them resources, he said.
While he believes the hospitality and tourism industries are the greatest industries in the world, "we do an awful job at diversity," he said.
He said South Florida is an example of this. There are hundreds of hotels in that market but only three Black general managers.
"If you look at ownership, think about this for a second: There are over 58,000 hotels in this country. Asian Americans own 3% of them. African Americans own less than 1%," he said, adding that Black travelers spend $109 billion annually on travel.
Ingraham said members of the industry also need to decide "whether the industry wants to pay more than lip service in diversity and whether there’s a real commitment."
Like most industries, the hotel industry reacts to "activity we have no control over."
"We’re in the middle of a pandemic," he said. "The good thing is we’re going to get over this. The other great thing about this pandemic is we’re going to come back stronger, more united and committed in what we do best and that’s hospitality.
"It also raised an ugly eye. What is that ugly eye? It's not only the way we treat people, but in a crises we tend to do a lot of things that are different."
Many Black executives were laid off across the hotel industry.
After the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer, companies brought Black executives back, he said.
Most companies have a person leading diversity and inclusion efforts, but not all of them are putting in the work. He said he can tell who is leading the efforts at each company.
"You can tell by the number of African American hoteliers or executives" at those companies, he said.
Brand Support
To focus more on supporting Black hotel owners, Choice Hotels International formed the Choice Hotels Owners African American Alliance, or CHOAAA.
John Lancaster, regional vice president of emerging markets, franchise development and owner relations at Choice, said CHOAAA was formed from the company's emerging markets program, an effort that's been in place for 15 years and aims to "help underrepresented minorities get into the hotel industry," he said.
"We have that track record of searching for, identifying and counseling potential candidates through our application and our ownership process," he said. "And we know one of the key barriers to hotel ownership is the level of investment. With that being said, Choice offers investment opportunities at various price points."
Through this program, owners have financial incentive support and it makes small business ownership for entrepreneurs entering the hospitality industry a reality, he said.
Lancaster added that "CHOAAA was the next step in creating an alliance and further underscoring our commitment to strengthen our representation, support and advocate for our Black and African American hoteliers."
Bob Nesbitt, president of CHOAAA, said the organization provides a platform for Black owners to come together and talk about issues surrounding the industry, best practices and deals.
He added that Choice is among the first hotel branding companies to create a platform like this, and that other companies should take the initiative to do the same to create a more inclusive industry.
Hilton embraces diversity and inclusion through its values, which extend to its owners, DeShaun Wise Porter, vice president of diversity & inclusion at Hilton, said via email.
To recruit and support minority entrepreneurs looking to diversify their investment portfolios through hotel assets, Wise Porter said Hilton follows a few best practices, which include partnering with and supporting the minority associations and programs such as NABHOOD.