South Africa Tourism’s Justin Barnette Wins 2026 Travel Unity Inclusion Champion Award

Justin Barnette, the head of marketing and communications, North America at South Africa Tourism, has won the 2026 Travel Unity Inclusion Champion Award. The public vote saw him win with 294 of 521 votes (56.4%) cast among seven finalists. The award recognizes Barnette’s work to expand LGBTQ+ representation in tourism.

Barnette, a frequent speaker at TMR’s TMP Canada events, has helped advance LGBTQ+ representation in tourism, demonstrating how inclusion can become part of mainstream destination marketing rather than a standalone initiative.

His work at South African Tourism has spanned consumer marketing, media relations, travel trade engagement, and industry education, including the launch of the organization’s first LGBTQ+ tourism microsite and media FAM program in 2016.

He also moderated Africa’s Travel Indaba’s first LGBTQ+ tourism workshop, helping bring greater attention to LGBTQ+ tourism within the broader industry. More recently, he led the organization’s collaboration with IGLTA to create a new LGBTQ+ travel guide to South Africa ahead of Cape Town’s hosting of WorldPride 2028.

He has previously spoken with TMR about what travel advisors need to know about LGBTQ+ travelers.

Travel Unity’s 2026 Awards recognize individuals and organizations working to make travel more welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities. Other awards given were for Community Impact (G Adventures) and Young Professional (Amine Gabbouj, IGLTA Foundation), among others.