Important Updates to the Hipcamp Inclusion Policy

At Hipcamp, we firmly believe that in order to get more people outside, the outdoors must be safe, accessible, and inclusive for everyone. We also recognize that Hipcamp has the opportunity and responsibility to make the outdoors more accessible for historically marginalized communities. With that, we have made a few important updates and added some new features to support these efforts.

We updated our Inclusion Policy

We’ve always had a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, but our updated Inclusion Policy, which applies to both Hipcampers and Hosts, now more clearly defines what kind of behavior is unacceptable within the Hipcamp community. We worked with our own Hosts and Hipcampers, as well as partners in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space, to help define these standards and build the right accountability mechanisms to go along with them. By making our internal processes more transparent, both Hosts and Hipcampers will have clear guidelines on how to foster a more inclusive and safe environment regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, political views, religion, national origin, or culture.

Click below to read more about our policy and what we consider to be discriminatory.

We added new forms of accountability 

We are committed to act with purposefully urgency in all instances related to discrimination. We leverage a combination of technology, the judgment of our Hosts and Hipcampers, and our operations teams to report and remove content, address hateful behavior, and discipline Hosts or Hipcampers who discriminate or generally make others feel unsafe or disrespected. You can read more about the thorough investigation process we use when instances of potential discrimination are discovered in our Inclusion Policy.

Hipcampers can also now provide feedback in the review process as to whether or not their Host met our Inclusion Policy during their stay. We will use this data to help Hosts understand where they can improve and where they have succeeded in creating an inclusive experience. 

We recognize the role Hipcamp plays in connecting diverse communities in nature, so we’re hopeful that these features represent a meaningful start to best supporting our Hosts and Hipcampers. We are grateful for the support of our community and external Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion partners in providing critical insight and feedback along the way. We are excited to continue working to help get more people outside.

Where can you learn more? 

If you’re interested in learning more about why this is important to us, please take advantage of the resources below: 

• Hipcamp Host Standards
• Hipcamper Standards
• Everyday Feminism, “Intent vs. Impact: Why Your Intentions Don’t Really Matter” by Jamie Utt. July 30, 2013.
• Harvard Business Review, “When and How to Respond to Microaggressions” by Ella F. Washington, Alison Hall Birch and Laura Morgan Roberts. July 3, 2020.
• Outside, “Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream” by Latria Graham. Sept. 21, 2020.
• Race Forward, The Center for Racial Justice Innovation, Race Reporting Guide
• TED, “How to Overcome our Biases: Walk Boldly Toward Them” by Vernā Myers.