Airline apologises for giraffe gaffe
Delta Airlines has been accused of "racism" and forced to apologise after a tweet it posted about the World Cup portrayed Ghana with a picture of a giraffe – despite the fact that there are no giraffes in the West African country.
The airline said it will now review its use of social media. A spokesperson said the use of an image of a giraffe to represent Ghana was "both inaccurate and inappropriate".
The tweet congratulated the US football team for its 2 – 1 victory over Ghana and included a photo of the Statue of Liberty to represent the US alongside the photo of a giraffe, which was intended to represent Ghana.
The move outraged some on Twitter who claimed it was "racial stereotyping", although some social media users jumped to Delta’s support, saying it was guilty of "ignorance" but not "racism".
Delta has since Tweeted: "We’re sorry for our choice of photo in our previous tweet. Best of luck to all teams".
A spokesman said: "As a global airline we understand the role images play in shaping global perceptions. We also recognise our responsibility to create messages that are both accurate and inclusive. We take this responsibility seriously.
"Yesterday, we failed to meet this responsibility. For this, we sincerely apologise.
"We have removed the image and are reviewing our processes to ensure that future images and posts reflect both our values and our global focus."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025
U.S.A. and Israel attacks on Iran impact air movements in the Gulf (Update 1.00pm CET)
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism