"To me, living in Palm Springs and California, how anyone could go down that path is mind-boggling in this day and age," he remarks. "It’s 2023, not 1963."

Greater Palm Springs is considered one of the US’s most LGBT+-friendly destinations; it enjoyed a record year for visitors in 2022, and is now embarking on major growth plans targeting the UK market.

However, White is clearly deeply disappointed by the path some politicians in other parts of the country have chosen to tread.

Lawmakers in Florida, North Dakota, Tennessee and Texas have been among the most aggressive in advancing anti-LGBT+ policies, from criminalising drag performances to banning transgender people using certain toilets and limiting LGBT+ education in schools.

These are moves, says White, which not only attack the freedoms of locals, but potentially tarnish each state’s reputation in the eyes of would-be tourists.

"Certain states are providing a platform for people to weaponise travel, to not travel there," White tells TTG on a visit to London in late June.

Politicians ’trying to elevate themselves’

With what looks likely to be the most divisive election in US history looming on the horizon in 2024, with controversial figures such as Florida governor Ron DeSantis vying for the Republican nomination against ex-president Donald Trump, the US tourism sector is no doubt bracing itself for what could be an uncomfortable 18 months before polls open.

So, is White worried about the damage a potentially volatile campaign could do to the country’s international tourism appeal?

"On a national level, yes," he says, warily. "If anything, it unfortunately helps us here in California [where LGBT+ acceptance is higher]. But I don’t want someone coming to Palm Springs or California because they’re afraid to go to other parts of our country – that would be a very sad situation. I would prefer them [to] come to us because of our values and everything you can see and do.

"It is really frustrating and disheartening that we’re even having to have this conversation and such issues are being utilised in this manner. I’m hoping this [the 2024 election] could be the last chapter in this saga."

For White, the situation stands in stark contrast to the positivity around the industry’s recovery. From the darkest days of the pandemic to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, travel has defied soaring inflation and cost of living challenges that have impacted domestic and international travellers to rebound to what White believes "is now an all-time high".

"If you’d asked me about this six months ago, I would have said we’ll be in trouble when summer rolls around because of inflation and the economy – but every flight is full," he remarks. "Europe is busy, the US is busy.

“People have a desire to travel, to experience different cultures and lifestyles, so it’s frustrating that we have some politicians trying to elevate themselves with their base supporters, which I believe, in the US, is really the minority. Their voices and views are being blown up to become much bigger than they really are – it’s a small group.”

It’s clear that White and his team, unlike some political figures and contenders, are not interested in sound bites – and when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion, they have been working hard to improve visitors’ experiences.

But despite Greater Palm Springs’ reputation as one of America’s most inclusive destinations for the LGBT+ community, White tells TTG that wasn’t enough, with Visit Greater Palm Springs investing heavily in new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies – both within the organisation and throughout the destination – over the past 18 months.

“Just saying you’re all-inclusive and welcoming is one thing, but your practices and behaviours need to engage in a meaningful way - then you truly are,” he says, explaining how Visit Greater Palm Springs hired a director of sustainability and community engagement while enlisting the help of consultancy group Travel Unity to rethink its approach.

"We learned how we can hire differently, adapt our protocols for procurement, better support minority-owned businesses. We learned a lot about the things we thought we were really good at, but I think it’s proof there’s a lot more you can do and a lot of opportunities to improve. Travel Unity is now working with our cities and stakeholders so they work in the same way."

’We’re going to invest heavily in the UK’

White describes the process as "really eye-opening" and one which has already paid dividends, with Greater Palm Springs chosen to host the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) conference in 2025 – "a real feather in our cap", according to White.

"They recognise everything that we’re doing," he continues. "I think travellers will recognise these nuances are important. Everybody talks about the economic benefits [around DEI] and that’s true, but for me, it’s just the right thing to do. It feels natural. We’re all human beings – why would you treat anyone differently?"

There’s more work to be done, though, with White keen to grow Greater Palm Springs’ profile among UK agents and consumers, and secure a non-stop service from London in the near future.

"We’re investing about $600,000 this year in the UK," he explains. "We’ve never invested at this kind of level – typically, it’s been less than $100,000. The UK is definitely our top market, and we’re going to be investing heavily here over the next 5 to 10 years, if not always.”

Since taking the helm of Visit Greater Palm Springs in 2010, one of White’s labours of love has been working to land the destination that non-stop London route. Despite pre-pandemic interest from British Airways, the city’s "international" airport – contrary to its name – does not yet have the capabilities to receive international visitors beyond North America.

"It’s called ’international’ because of the pre-clearance coming in from Canada," White explains. "At the time, BA discussed moving a service from another city that wasn’t performing so well to Palm Springs but we didn’t have the facilities. Those conversations really motivated me and we engaged with the airport on this and are moving in that direction."

With a feasibility study for the new international terminal ongoing, White believes it may soon be a reality. "It’s only a matter of time really – I’d say five or six years, potentially."

Agents and their customers won’t have to jump on a plane to "visit" Palm Springs later this year, though. A major PR and trade engagement campaign is set to "bring Palm Springs on the road" this September with a branded Airstream trailer and trade training events calling in London, Dublin, Manchester and Edinburgh.

"Our philosophy is to support what the trade is doing by growing consumer demand alongside their efforts," White insists.

"We want consumers to go to their travel advisors and say: ’What information do you have on Greater Palm Springs?’. 2022 was a record year for us across the board – visitor numbers, economic impact, visitor spend.

"We’re excited for what comes next."