Norfolk, VA June is a lively month in Norfolk, with festivals and events galore. Visitors pour into Norfolk to experience the nation’s only Pride Boat Parade. Private boats of all sizes are encouraged to participate in the decorated boat parade offering colorful and inspiring themes and making the parade an experience to remember. The boat parade is just one of the exciting events at PrideFest, the City of Norfolk’s largest one-day festival, featuring entertainment, vendors, and fun activities for all ages. For more information and to register a boat for the parade, visit here.

Providence, RI Rhode Island’s capital city, Providence, is known for its hot food scene, spectacular art, and vibrant LGBTQ+ community, making it the perfect place for queer travelers and allies alike to enjoy a weekend getaway. The unofficial gaybourhood of Providence is the artsy downtown and Wickenden Street, a road in the southern part of the city that is filled with antique shops and an old New England vibe is bustling with things to do. The downtown area offers a walkable mix of pubs and clubs, perfect for a bar hopping experience that will be lit all year long. June is LGBTQ+ Pride month and coincidentally the city is often called the gayest capital city, making it the perfect place to celebrate. Rhode Island’s Annual PrideFest Celebration & Illuminated Night Parade is always a vibrant, festive event held in downtown Providence. A celebration of love, respect and joy, Pride is considered one of Providence’s signature events.

Spacious Skies Campgrounds (SSC) has become the first private campground company to partner with Black Folks Camp Too (BFCT), an organization that promotes the outdoor lifestyle to campers of all experiences and backgrounds. All of the 14 Spacious Skies campgrounds are now “Unity Blaze Certified,” which acknowledges the campgrounds’ commitment to the Unity Blaze motto: “Treat Everyone, Everywhere, Equally.” “Our mission is to offer campers fun, relaxing and authentic campground experiences no matter your race, age or gender,” said Ali Rasmussen, co-founder of Spacious Skies Campgrounds. “Partnering with Black Folks Camp Too is a natural extension of our ongoing efforts to ensure that all of our guests feel comfortable and welcome camping with us while they explore the abundant recreational offerings in each location.” The partnership with Black Folks Camp Too is the latest example of how Spacious Skies Campgrounds is paving new ground in campground management. In just two years, the company has grown to 14 campgrounds, established a loyalty program, developed a Fall Color Trail and Spring Bloom Trail to celebrate the seasonal beauty in each location, promoted staff unity through teambuilding retreats and other initiatives, created themed weekends to highlight seasonal and local/regional events and offerings, partnered with RVShare for on-site rentals to encourage new-to-camping travelers to try out the RV lifestyle, launched infrastructure enhancements at new campgrounds and much more. “Becoming the first Unity Blaze Certified private campground company is an achievement that we are celebrating company-wide,” said Rasmussen. “Black Folks Camp Too is making considerable headway in promoting unity in outdoor hospitality and recreation, and as a new partner we pledge to support their groundbreaking efforts in every campground we own and operate.” For more information, visit www.spaciousskiescampgrounds.com.

Broward County is home to a rich, vibrant tapestry of cultures, with people from more than 170 countries, speaking 147 languages living there. This dynamic array of diversity is not only prevalent in every corridor of the county — it’s proudly celebrated in the attractions, festivals, and food the destination has to offer. That’s why Visit Lauderdale has curated a list of the sights, sounds, and savory spots to experience during National Diversity Month.

After the wave of recent layoffs affecting several major corporations, Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta is offering a new getaway with free career counseling workshops from leading life coach Ruth Beltran.Travelers can take a break before getting into the serious business of searching for a new job, clear one’s head, and get advice on what to do next. The retreat, complimentary to hotel guests, includes a daily program devoted to transformational thinking to put guests in charge of their career today, along with an overview of changes taking place in the work world. Under the guidance of Beltran, guests will look at the new realities and how to stay in charge of their work life, whether that means identifying a new career, repositioning in a current field, or improving the job search. Casa Velas’ Career Getaway will take place April 24-28, 2023. For more information, visit https://www.hotelcasavelas.com/packages/career-getaway.

Visit Jacksonville is Florida’s first destination management organization to earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation. This designation, granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), recognizes organizations that have undergone staff training to better understand and meet the needs of autistic visitors and their families. Visit Jacksonville president and CEO Michael Corrigan welcomed the designation, saying, “We’re proud to be the first destination marketing organization in the state of Florida to achieve the Certified Autism Center™ status, but we’re most proud to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all who visit Jacksonville.” Visit Jacksonville operates three Visitor Centers: Jacksonville International Airport, Downtown Jacksonville at 100 North Laura Street, and the Beaches Museum in Jacksonville Beach, and also deploys a mobile Visitor Center that travels to various events state-wide. Many autistic individuals and their families want to travel yet may worry they will not be understood, welcomed, or have access to accommodation needs. A recent survey of parents, families, and autistic individuals conducted by IBCCES discovered that 94% of respondents would take more vacations or visit more new places if they had access to autism-trained and certified options. Through community designation as a CAD, a selection of the city’s attractions, hotels, recreation, and entertainment organizations will complete autism and sensory training and certification, as well as onsite reviews, and have long-term access to other supports through IBCCES. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to http://www.VisitJacksonville.com.

Alexandria, VA— From a self-taught mathematician who mapped out the nation’s capital to abolitionist sisters who partnered with Frederick Douglass to the first Black athlete to play in the NBA, African American changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria, VA, and the United States. Throughout Black History Month, participate in a range of activities including a Manumission Tour Company Black History bus tour and film screenings of African American cinematic classics, explore the just-launched southern route of the African American Waterfront Heritage Trail and attend additional events below. Plus, look for the reopening of the Alexandria Black History Museum in 2023. Explore more ways to celebrate Black history and culture throughout February and year-round on Visit Alexandria’s Black History and Culture landing page.

Multicultural Travel News – News from New-York Historical Society, MMGY, Boston, Expedia, New York and Ft. Lauderdale

News Briefs:
New-York Historical Society Showcases Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite
The Biggest Barriers for Travelers With Disabilities (MMGY Global Report)
Boston All Inclusive campaign encourages residents and visitors alike to see Boston as diverse
Expedia Debuts First Ad for New Campaign Focusing on U.S. Latino Travelers
NYC & Company Launches Arabic-language Guide to Halal Travel in New York City During Middle East Sales Mission
Visit Lauderdale Unveils New Brand Campaign “Everyone Under the Sun”
Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West

Multicultural Travel News – News from Washington, D.C., New York, Albuquerque, Wisconsin, Tennessee, California and the Rockies

News Briefs:
NMAI | National Museum of the American Indian: Visit the Many Nations of America From Home, Washington, D.C., and New York
Great Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month – Albuquerque
Great Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month – Wisconsin
Great Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month – Tennessee
Visit Native California Platform will Inspire Travelers to Discover Wonders of Golden State’s Native Lands and Cultural Heritage Experiences
The YMCA of the Rockies Is Working to Diversify the Outdoors