Tourism Cares Puts the Focus on Meaningful Travel in Miami

Having lived in Miami for more than 45 years, I’ve explored this South Florida city quite extensively, always curious about what my own backyard offers its residents and visitors. As I’ve learned through the years, there’s always something new to uncover in this vibrant, culturally diverse megalopolis. Oftentimes—as I found out during a recent day-long event with Tourism Cares—it’s when you dig into its past and stroll its legendary neighborhoods that you find the coolest spots.

Miami was Tourism Cares’ first stop in its Meaningful Travel Roadshow series, which is focused on providing solutions for sustainable tourism; promoting regional experiences for product development; supporting local economic development; and fostering in-person connection. During this 2-day event, participants, which included, among others, tour operators, travel advisors, local DMOs, MICE planners, hoteliers and media, took part in a late-afternoon networking session at Pier 5 Market at Bayside Marketplace, followed by a day filled with educational sessions at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater and sightseeing in Virginia Beach and Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. We heard from local change-makers who are working on sustainable, inclusive and accessible initiatives as well as cultural and natural preservation, and we got to explore Miami far from the well-trodden paths.

“For us,” said Greg Takehara, Tourism Cares’ CEO, “a lot of the focus is to take a deeper [dive] into how we can create positive impact for the people in places of travel. And it is all about being able to come to local communities like we’re in today, to really understand the authenticity, the cultural immersion, the meaningfulness of a place like Miami beyond some of the bucket list things that we always hear about, like South Beach.”

Takehara commented that with these Roadshow experiences, he wants those who participate to think about “how you see the city differently. We hope that you will all be inspired after you leave Miami…and that you will leave with actionable ideas.”

I, for one, was inspired by the tremendous sustainability efforts being undertaken by local organizations such as Clean Miami Beach, Debris Free Oceans and Fertile Earth Foundation, which we heard from during the “Sustainable Solutions for Miami’s Environment” panel discussion (I’ll never look at composting the same way again).

Miami-Dade County is also making tremendous strides in accessibility and inclusivity via such organizations as Shake-a-Leg Miami and IBCCES. In fact, the Miami Beach Convention Center is a Certified Autism Center and the IBCCES is working with the city to foster more inclusivity. Additionally, as Heidi Johnson-Wright, ADA Coordinator, Internal Services Department, Miami-Dade County, noted during the “Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism” session, Miami International Airport offers a program called MIAair, which is an Airport Instruction and Readiness program specifically designed to help individuals with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum, prepare for air travel.

And when it comes to the who’s who of locals preserving the area’s natural and cultural heritage, we heard from Love the Everglades Movement’s Reverend Houston R. Cypress, who reminded the audience that travelers to the area can visit the Everglades for its healing nature, opting for airboat rides that bring them close to nature or going on hikes in Big Cypress National Preserve. We also got the 411 on one of Miami Beach’s most anticipated debuts—The Reefline, a 7-mile underwater sculpture park, snorkel trail and hybrid reef off Miami Beach’s shore that’s slated to break water this year and will double as an artificial reef meant to create much-needed habitats for marine life.

Tourism Cares’ commitment to local partnerships is underscored by its Meaningful Travel Map, an interactive global map that showcases sustainable, community-led organizations, products, services, accommodations and tours that are creating a positive impact on local communities, the environment and travelers. In Miami those include the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, Vegan Cuban Cuisine, Miami Culinary Tours and Key2MIA, among others.

The benefits of using the map, the Tourism Cares team told the audience, are “to help bring local impact organizations like the Lyric Theater, nonprofits and other social enterprises, into the tourism supply chain. That means that more tourism dollars stay in the community supporting real people doing real work. It gives travelers richer, more authentic experiences they’ll remember and share with their family and friends once they get back.”

During the Roadshow’s Community Experience, our group was lucky enough to be guided through Miami’s history and its neighborhoods by one of those organizations, Key2MIA, which offers cultural, historical and food experiences. Advisors can work with the company to create customized itineraries for their clients. Top spots on our tour included:

• The Black Archives offices at the Lyric Theater, where we checked out a new exhibit, “Unfolding History: The Digital Archive – Reviving the Past through Historic Newspapers,” which celebrates the legacy and influence of Black journalism in South Florida.

  

• Virginia Beach, which, during segregation, opened in August 1945 as an officially designated swimming area for African Americans. Today, the park is open to the public and makes for a top spot for travelers who want to dig into a bit of Miami’s history and catch some sunrays (recommend clients rent the historic cabanas that sit along the shoreline).

  

• Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, which was once known as the “Harlem of the South” due to its vibrant music scene, with artists like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday performing at local venues. Here, you can recommend clients check out Dorsey Park, with a mural of baseball greats; the Historic Black Precinct & Courthouse; the D.A. Dorsey House, once home to Miami’s first Black millionaire; and eateries such as Little Greenhouse Grill—try their yummy conch fritters and Arnold Palmer—as well as Red Rooster, where ascending the historic staircase to the restaurant’s Pool Hall is a must.

Tourism Cares will be hosting two more Meaningful Travel Roadshows in the U.S. in 2025: Pittsburgh on Oct. 7 and Galveston on Nov. 14.