Time to Do Tourism Right - Raymond Two Hawks Watson

Time to Do Tourism Right - Raymond Two Hawks Watson

Last week I remarked on the benefits of indigenous land acknowledgments, specifically in terms of raising awareness and educating the public. This week I’ll add serving as an economic driver to the list as well.

On June 6, 2022, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo announced a new National Travel and Tourism Strategy that will focus federal government efforts to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The Commerce Secretary’s five-year plan intends to attract 90 million international visitors to the United States annually, specifically seeking to  “promote the United States as a premier travel destination, including broadening marketing efforts to encourage visitation to underserved and underrepresented communities; facilitate safe and efficient travel to and within the United States and its territories; ensure diverse and accessible tourism experiences with a focus on showcasing the nation’s federal lands and waters while also protecting them for future generations; and foster resilient and sustainable travel and tourism with goals to reduce the sectors’ contributions to climate change while  rebuilding sectors that protect natural resources, support the tourism economy and ensure equitable development.”

For the record, I generally support these expressed goals. Tourism is a key economic driver for the U.S. economy and focusing more resources and supports toward improving and enhancing tourism resources in the U.S. should be a primary focus. Further, increasing engagement with underserved and underrepresented communities and ensuring diverse tourism experiences are foundational to the work that I engage daily here in Rhode Island. I’m a fan of tourism when it’s done the right way.

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In fact, these are part of the reason I was awarded a Carter Innovation Fellowship by the Rhode Island Foundation in 2016 to start the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative. My premise was—and still is—that cultural diversity is one of Rhode Island’s greatest natural resources and is a key area for investment by the State to attract a larger, more diverse international tourism audience to Rhode Island. The international tourism market is hungry for new and unique experiences. The interest grows as the sector considers what “normal” means in a persisting COVID-19 environment. Accordingly, the Commerce Secretary’s newly announced strategy is a strong reaffirmation of what my colleagues and I have been promoting for several years; because Rhode Island’s indigenous history is so intimately tied to the birth of “America” Rhode Island is in a prime position to make its mark in the international cultural tourism market.

I’ve confirmed my sneaking suspicions through PCEI’s ongoing engagement with the Global Cultural Districts Network. International cultural experts and directors and staff of cultural districts across the world are absolutely floored when I speak of my family’s connection to significant events and philosophies that are foundational to contemporary society (the Settlement of Providence, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, King Philip’s War, etc . . .) that many have only learned about through second-hand historical research. Upon becoming aware that my people are still alive the conversation naturally leads to the potential of planning a trip to Rhode Island to learn more. This is fertile ground to explore and is precisely why I continue to affirm the international value of Rhode Island’s indigenous history, heritage, and diversity.

This leads back to the benefit of indigenous land acknowledgments here in Rhode Island. Coordinated with broader State tourism and branding efforts, official indigenous land acknowledgments from cities, towns, and the State itself would serve as tremendous resources to support the State’s tourism marketing efforts. It makes even more sense considering how well Rhode Island’s cultural resources align with the Commerce Secretary expressed priorities. To me, it just seems like a natural avenue that Rhode Island should consider pursuing.

In closing, Rhode Island should have more Indigenous land acknowledgments. They raise awareness about the comprehensive history of Rhode Island, they are a useful tool for educating the public, and they will support the State’s marketing efforts to increase engagement with the international tourism market.

 

That’s my three cents.

 

Raymond Two Hawks Watson, J.D., M.C.P.