Visit Baltimore Expands Its Warm Welcome Program with New Modules
November 2, 2026
BALTIMORE, MD – Visit Baltimore is expanding its Warm Welcome program, further reinforcing Baltimore’s commitment to being a welcoming destination for all visitors. The latest resources showcase expert guidance on accessibility and addressing microaggressions in hospitality spaces.
The content is available at no cost to tourism partners who sign a Warm Welcome pledge, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring every visitor feels seen, heard and respected.
“At Visit Baltimore, we believe that every traveler deserves to feel truly welcome by our hospitality community,” said Kireem Swinton, President & CEO of Visit Baltimore. “Our resources are helping our workforce build the knowledge and confidence to create more accessible and inclusive experiences, whether that means better understanding the needs of travelers with disabilities or recognizing how everyday interactions can shape a visitor’s sense of belonging. When we create spaces where people feel respected, comfortable and like they belong, we’re delivering the kind of hospitality that ensures people want to come back to Baltimore.”
Developed in partnership with CultureAlly, the newest training explores microaggressions, unintentional or indirect comments and actions that demeans a marginalized group. The module defines microaggressions, walks participants through scenarios and provides meaningful steps toward resolving potentially harmful situations. The information covered in the module supports everyday allyship, offering examples of appropriately addressing exclusionary language and repairing negative impact.
“Inclusion and empathy are at the core of the eLearning experiences we develop,” said Jeremy Jones-Juliá, Director, Learning & Development at CultureAlly. “The CultureAlly team is proud to collaborate with Visit Baltimore in our shared commitment to ongoing growth and education that creates welcoming experiences for all. Thoughtful responses to microaggressions are fundamental to that work, and we hope this resource helps foster respectful environments and advance the Warm Welcome pledge across the city.”
Additionally, Visit Baltimore worked with VisitAble – a company dedicated to changing the way the world views disability – to develop a resource designed to improve experiences travelers and employees with disabilities within Baltimore’s tourism and hospitality sector. The “Accessibility in Hospitality” training module, which officially launched in the fall, provides comprehensive guidance on accessible tourism best practices, covering a wide range of topics, including all disability categories. Participants will learn about common mistakes and assumptions, updated and appropriate verbiage, and best practices for interaction.
“VisitAble aims to change how we all view disability, and improving traveler and employee experiences is absolutely part of that mission,” VisitAble CEO & Founder Joe Jamison, CPACC said. “I appreciate organizations like Visit Baltimore who share our values and invest in bringing these best practices to partners in hospitality.”
The Visit Baltimore Warm Welcome program aims to establish Baltimore as a top destination for all people, regardless of race, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, disability and more. The program encourages local hotels, restaurants, attractions and other businesses to sign an online pledge committing to train their staff and stakeholders to use supportive, affirming language; inspire proactive allyship; encourage productive dialogue about race, accessibility and bias; and foster active listening and learning. Businesses that participate in the Warm Welcome program can also receive items that show visitors they are committed to creating a safe, respectful environment.
Visit Baltimore is continuously working with experts to enhance its Warm Welcome resources and will release updated modules on an ongoing basis. For more on the Warm Welcome program, visit the Visit Baltimore website.
About Visit Baltimore
Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing arm for the City of Baltimore. The 501(c)(6) non-profit organization generates economic benefits for stakeholders through the attraction of convention, group and leisure visitors. In 2025, 28.7 million people visited Baltimore for overnight and day trips, generating a total of $4.3 billion to Baltimore’s economy. For more information, visit baltimore.org.
About CultureAlly
As a workplace learning and development company, CultureAlly helps organizations build inclusive, high-performing workplaces. Their practical training helps employees develop the soft skills to handle everyday workplace challenges, from communicating clearly to navigating conflict. They offer live workshops and eLearning, alongside leadership development programs and consulting tailored to each organization’s needs. They’ve worked with more than 1,000 organizations and were recognized in The Globe and Mail’s 2026 ranking of Top Growing Companies. For more information, visit cultureally.com.
About VisitAble
VisitAble is a company on a mission to change the way the world views disability. Their leading, industry-proven accessible tourism training improves traveler and employee experiences, while differentiating the organizations that partner with them. VisitAble is the only training platform that successfully scales empathy-based education across all disability types within a destination. Scalable disability inclusion training for all disability types is their sole focus, and they deliver it with more depth, clarity and impact than anyone else.