Cotton-candy sunsets. Starry desert skies. Towering saguaro cacti. At ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ, we want everyone to witness the wonders of ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ’s Sonoran Desert and experience our unique blend of luxury, relaxation and adventure.
That’s why in recent years, both ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ and the city of ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ have taken intentional steps to ensure everyone feels welcome here.
Our Commitment
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ’s mission is to promote the ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ area as a luxury destination for meetings, events and leisure travel. In doing so, we invite people from all over the country and world to visit and meet in ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ.
Like much of the nation, our community is not free from discrimination and inequality. Yet people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, abilities, ages, backgrounds and experiences not only visit ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ but also call ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ home. They include our employees, colleagues, neighbors, family members and friends. ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ is fully committed to listening, learning and advocating so that marginalized groups are respected and represented within our community and so that all people, no matter their differences, feel safe and welcome in ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ.
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ proudly promotes ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ. We proudly celebrate the diversity of our community members and visitors. And we proudly commit to seeking a more inclusive and equitable future for our organization and community.
Our Strides
In the summer of 2020, protesters took to the streets across the country, including in ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ. The national conversation around race shed light on the importance of cultivating a diverse, inclusive and equitable tourism industry. In response, ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ formed a staff-led Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Advocacy (IDEA) Committee to instill those values into the fabric of our organization. We hired a local DEI consultant to work in tandem with the IDEA Committee and further these efforts, providing marketing assessments, leadership support, and training for our staff, board of directors and members.
Internally, ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ has engaged our team on discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion. The IDEA Committee provides educational materials and coordinates speakers to help inform and inspire our staff and member businesses. We also have adjusted our hiring and recruiting practices to tap a more diverse candidate pool.
We have made changes with our marketing, partnering with photographers and videographers to capture diverse perspectives that are more reflective of our visitors for our website, social media channels and marketing campaigns. We’ve published stories on our website to highlight unique voices in our community. And to ensure people of all abilities can easily access our content, we have added an accessibility tool that customizes browsing experiences on both the mobile and desktop versions of Experience¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ.com.
Externally, we have become more vocal in our support of social justice with the hope that our community embraces meaningful and sustainable change. Our president and CEO signed Destinations Internationals’ and . We took the Equality & Fairness For All Americans Pledge to continue to advance non-discrimination protections, as well as voiced our unequivocal support for ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, which passed in April 2021.
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ is committed to continuing this journey so that our organization, brand and community embrace and welcome all.
Our Partnerships
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ is a proud member of the following organizations working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion locally and in the global tourism industry. ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ has collaborated with additional organizations to offer training to our members with the hopes of expanding our customer base, providing the best service possible, and supporting a diverse workforce that allows our industry to put its best foot forward.
OUR COMMUNITY
Here in ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ, you can support restaurants, bars, shops, spas and art galleries owned and operated by people who identify as women, people of color and LGBTQ+. You can tour attractions and institutions that celebrate cultures and histories like Western Spirit: ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ’s Museum of the West, Heard Museum and Musical Instrument Museum. You can attend annual events like the Arizona Indian Festival, the ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ Jazz Festival, the Juneteenth Celebration and the Rainbows Festival.
Beyond offering such opportunities and experiences, ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ is committed to fair treatment of residents, visitors and employees in the community. In April 2021, the ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ City Council adopted an anti-discrimination ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The ordinance provides a clear and comprehensive mandate for the prevention of discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, and city services, programs and activities.
The anti-discrimination ordinance was championed by the city’s and the Human Relations Commission, an advisory body for the mayor and council. Following its passage, ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ received a score of 100 on the .
OUR NATIVE ROOTS
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ is located on the ancestral homeland of the O’Odham (known as the Pima) and the Piipaash (known as the Maricopa). Native peoples have inhabited this landscape for millennia, and the city remains spiritually connected to the O’Odham of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRP-MIC) who live here today.
The SRP-MIC borders the city of ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ, and it is a confederation of two unique cultures with their own languages, customs, cultures, religions and histories. The traditional territory of the Akimel O’Odham and Piipaash extends much further throughout the Southwestern United States and Mexico, and the landscape is sacred, reflecting cultural values central to their ways of life. Their oral history and song culture is tied to tangible places associated with specific historic, cultural and religious values. These places, like the mountains that surround ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ and the SRP-MIC, are reminders and links to their ancestors.
¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ partners with many attractions and hotels located within the SRP-MIC. Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized, sovereign Native American nations, and ¹ú²ú͵ÅÄ strives to recognize, celebrate and share their respective customs, traditions and businesses with visitors traveling to Arizona through our stories, itineraries and promotions.
Find additional information on visiting the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Arizona’s tribal lands at and .
