Back in September 2020, MMGY Global launched The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities study, created in partnership with the Black Travel Alliance, the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD). The company committed to donating net proceeds from the sales of the report — which was designed to fill the gap in Black travel research — back to those partner organizations.
To date, the study has raised $101,395 in net proceeds, of which each of the travel advocacy partners will receive 10%. What’s more, MMGY has announced that the remaining 70% will be used to fund two grant programs spearheaded by the Black Travel Alliance and the NCBMP: The Black Travel Organization Grant, and the Black Travel Content Creator Grant.
Ten $5,000 Black Travel Organization Grants will be issued to organizations that help “advance representation, opportunity and equity for Black voices in the travel space.” In addition, 20 Black Travel Content Creator Grands of $1,000 each will be given to “successful applicants to hone their craft and thereby increase the quality and quantity of Black content creators in travel.”
Black travel organizations and Black travel content creators can apply for the grants until April 30, 2021. MMGY has also said that net proceeds from any further sales of The Black Traveler study will be committed to funding additional grants.
The grants specifically address some of the previously released findings from the study, which revealed that issues such as representation and how destinations and service providers approach diversity play a key role in influencing Black travelers’ decisions.
“The Black traveler report revealed that Black travelers are more likely to visit a destination that a Black journalist, website or influencer has covered,” said Clayton Reid, CEO of MMGY Global. “Yet, Black voices across the digital and traditional media landscape are not as present as they need to be, often because of a lack of financial support. We are happy that through these grants we are able to help address some of the issues raised in the report, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of this work.”
“These grants will ensure content creators and organizations develop a competitive edge in the travel industry and play an active role in solving the issues highlighted in the research,” said Jason Dunn, immediate past chairman of the NCBMP.
The Details
Black Travel Alliance
www.blacktravelalliance.org
MMGY Global
www.mmgyglobal.com
National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers
www.nabhood.net
National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals
www.ncbmp.com
