Pack Up + Go’s first core value is to Hold the Traveler Experience Above All Else.

Travel is a privilege, and we recognize that the experience of traveling looks and feels different for everyone. As a company, we are committed to helping everyone pursue fulfilling, safe, and fun vacations. As a leader, I am aware that there is always room for growth, and I am committed to building a business that is actively working to make ourselves, and the travel industry, more inclusive.

Our travelers, who come from and explore the wonderfully diverse communities across the United States, are a constant reminder of the rich travel potential that exists without the necessity of a passport. Our team — from traveler support, to marketing, to travel planning, research, and more — should be just as diverse. As we grow, I am committed to building a more diverse team that is representative of the travelers we serve. My goal is for 50% of our team to be comprised of members of the BIPOC community by the end of 2024, a goal we will achieve by continuing to cast a wide net for our full-time, part-time, seasonal, and internship positions by posting opportunities on job boards like the Black Travel Alliance and internships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Inspire Positive Change + Conscious Consumption, another one of our core values means extending representation into the in-destination recommendations we provide to our travelers. Through our travelers, we are able to directly support tens of thousands of small businesses nationwide. It is crucial that the suggestions we provide in each destination are representative of our company’s values, showcase diverse businesses + sites, and are presented in a thoughtful and respectful way to our travelers. The capital the travel industry infuses into local economies should go to a wide range of businesses to purposefully strengthen communities. We have set the goal to ensure that by the end of 2023, at least 20% of all businesses we recommend to our travelers are diverse-owned. To support this effort, we have recently invested in a large technical enhancement that allows us to update, manage, and track our recommendations to ensure we are hitting this diversification benchmark. In Q3 2022, we are expanding upon our Influencer Ambassador Program to build a City Ambassador Program. In this program, we will partner with locals in each of our destinations to ensure we go beyond online research and truly have our finger on the pulse of our destinations. Both our Influencer and City Ambassador Programs are committed to partnering with members of the BIPOC, accessibility, and LGBTQIA+ communities, and have a stated goal of 75% of participants being members of these communities.

I am incredibly proud that Pack Up + Go has an employee-led, cross-functional Traveler Safety + Anti-Discrimination Council to build and enforce internal standards. In addition to our team participating in ongoing trainings with a DEIA consultant since 2020, this Council actively reviews and updates our internal processes, reviews our recommendations, and helps guide our interactions with our travelers to ensure that as a company, we are doing everything we can to help make the domestic travel industry more inclusive and safe for marginalized communities. From making updates to our Pre-Trip Survey to ask if travelers have safety concerns, to making sure our trips are fully accessible for travelers who use wheelchairs, to making it easier for our travelers to support women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and veteran-owned businesses, we have already taken many steps, and are eager to continue to improve and hold ourselves accountable. 

For those who have the luxury of safety, ease, and comfort while traveling, it is doubly important to act as allies and take an active stance in empowering others. Travel is such a rewarding experience because of the opportunity it provides to introduce us to new ideas, people, and places. As a travel brand, we need to continue celebrating and intentionally cultivating diversity both internally and externally. I am proud of the work that we have already done to make Pack Up + Go a more inclusive company, and I am excited to continue this work and to help all Americans Explore More and Enjoy the Ride.

-Lillian Rafson, Founder + CEO