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Issues of systemic racism and inequality have been pervasive in the travel and tourism industry for centuries. Research in this area revolves around the histories of Black travel and how systematic racism has informed the tourism landscape of today. Counter-narratives highlighting current day experiences of Black travelers and tourism professionals are exposed.

PLANTATIONS, ENSLAVEMENT, & HERITAGE TOURISM

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Traditionally, historic southern plantations have said little about the lives of the enslaved Africans and African Americans whose labor built and operated these estates. There are signs of a growing inclusion of the slave experience within plantation heritage, although this does not yet represent a wholesale change. RESET is carrying out research and outreach projects that determine what place the enslaved have in the current marketing and interpretation of plantation history, the expectations and perceptions of plantation visitors from different racial backgrounds, and the role of tour guides and managers in making for a more inclusive plantation heritage experience.

People with disabilities, LGBTQ+, & GENDER

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At the nexus of social equity and critical tourism scholarship, projects exploring marginalized populations including people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and womxn aim to amplify underrepresented voices and reveal areas for the tourism industry to improve. Using an array of methodologies, projects in this area aim to understand how gender, sexual orientation and ability influence the travel experience and landscape.

SUSTAINABILITY, EQUITY, & wellbeing

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Sustainability encompasses three critical dimensions - economic efficiency, environmental integrity and social equity and justice. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of equity, peace and justice, RESET fellows conduct research in the areas of community engagement, animal welfare and corporate social responsibility that tend to sustainable tourism goals.