Whether the goal is to elevate Black professionals within the travel industry; encourage people of color to travel; or otherwise raise awareness of the travel experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), there are a number of organizations dedicated to these and other missions.
Following is a closer look at a handful of prominent organizations and events focused on Black travelers and travel professionals.
Nomadness Travel Tribe
Evita Robinson founded the Nomadness Travel Tribe in 2011, hoping to meaningfully connect with millennial and Gen X travelers of color. Today, the online social community features more than 35,000 members.
Along with advocating for travelers who identify as BIPOC; conducting its own market-based research; and organizing international group trips for members, Nomadness Travel Tribe also hosts an annual Nomadness Fest. The popular three-day tourism confab aims to “curate the travel industry’s most honest and communal conversations on what it is like to navigate the world as a person of color,” according to its website.
“If you are a traveler of color, you already know the issues that we run into with the lack of representation in the tourism industry and what that looks like,” Robinson said. “If you go to any other tourism-based event, you know there's usually just a couple of us sprinkled in the crowd or on stage, and it’s a very white-based, white-facing event.”
If you are a traveler of color, you already know the issues that we run into with the lack of representation in the tourism industry and what that looks like.
Robinson said her goal with Nomadness Fest has been to create something very different.
“If you come in and you are not a part of the BIPOC community, you are the minority in the room, and you're the student,” she explained. “We welcome allies, … [but] this event is very much for the BIPOC travel community. It’s all of the people who we know and recognize as the movers and shakers in travel. They all converge in one place at one time. It's very much like a family reunion in the Black and Brown tourism industry.”
Robinson noted that Nomadness Fest is set for Sept. 12-15 this year in Charlotte, N.C., and will feature a diverse mix of community leaders, celebrities, travel influencers, consumers, tourism boards, suppliers and travel advisors. The 2024 event will also include a familiar Industry Day format, during which Robinson said travel advisors can schedule one-on-one time with representatives from tourism boards, suppliers and travel brands.
“They’re able to sit down and literally cross-pitch one another on different ways they can work together,” Robinson said. “If you're a travel advisor, here's a chance to possibly create a tour in a destination that maybe was not on your radar.”
Robinson encouraged folks to sign up for Nomadness Travel Tribe’s free email newsletter to learn more.
Nomadness Fest founder Evita Robinson
Credit: 2024 Nomadness Travel TribeAssociation of Black Travel Professionals
Founded in 2020 by longtime travel pros Veranda Adkins and Shawnta Harrison, the Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) is now made up of more than 1,500 travel advisors across the country.
“The experience level ranges from those new to the industry to people like me with over 20 years in the industry,” said Adkins, who owns the Athens, Ala.-based agency Travel Legacy. “The idea was really just to get together to share best practices and talk about things going on in the industry.”
ABTP holds weekly virtual training events every Tuesday for members, and once a month, those sessions focus specifically on business development.
“Two weeks ago, we had an accountant on who just talked about tax practices and getting ready to file,” Adkins explained. “We’ve also had attorneys on. We have estate planners on. We have business marketing and coaching people on.”
The association also regularly partners with suppliers to host roadshow events for members in different cities across the county. Late last month, for example, ABTP held a roadshow in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line in Atlanta.
The ABTP Annual Summit, meanwhile, will be held Aug. 15-18 this year in Louisville, Ky.
“It is a chance for everybody to meet in person, as well as connect with suppliers,” Adkins said. “We also have a trade show component, more training classes, speakers who are marketing people — things like that to help develop business.”
ABTP membership runs $109 per year, and Adkins said the organization requires that folks have an IATA, CLIA or TRUE number to join.
The greatest thing about being a part of an organization like ABTP is just the connections you make with agents.
“Even though our name is the Association of Black Travel Professionals, we do have members who are not African-American, so we're open to everybody,” Adkins explained. “The greatest thing about being a part of an organization like ABTP is just the connections you make with agents. Even for me, being in the industry for as long as I have been, I still learn so much from other agents. I think that the connection and the community is one of the greatest pieces.”
Travel Professionals of Color
First launched in 2002, Travel Professionals of Color (TPOC) was founded by Betty Jones and Charlotte Haymore, who hoped to raise awareness about minority travel professionals within the tourism industry while also providing tools to assist them with profitability, according to the organization’s website.
TPOC features travel advisor members located today in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe, and the organization holds a TPOC Annual Conference — scheduled for June 26-30 this year at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya Resort. Featuring a range of educational and networking opportunities aimed at advancing minority travel pros, the TPOC event attracts not only travel advisors but also a collection of travel executives, industry suppliers, hospitality professionals and students, according to the organization.
TPOC membership costs $189 per year, and a CLIA, IATA or TRUE number is required to join. Members are eligible for free CLIA classes at the TPOC Annual Conference, according to the website, as well as the organization’s Heritage Tourism Certificate, which offers CTA and CTC continuing-education-credit-eligible training about the multicultural and heritage tourism market.
Black Travel Alliance
A professional nonprofit organization founded in 2020, the Black Travel Alliance (BTA) features more than 2,500 members, according to its website, and roughly 10% of those are Black travel advisors.
Operating with a mission “to support Black content creators around the world and increase their representation in the travel industry via various avenues, such as employment, conferences and media,” the BTA’s membership is made up of travel advisors, authors, bloggers, vloggers, broadcasters, journalists, photographers, podcasters and social media influencers.
The group says on its website that it offers business support and training to members while also holding “destinations and travel brands accountable on the issue of diversity in travel marketing and storytelling.”
Membership options range from free to $140 per year, and include comped or discounted access to BTA’s developmental webinars, workshops and conferences.
Black Travel Summit
Slated for Oct. 10-13 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this year’s Black Travel Summit (BTS) is focused on bringing people together to learn more about and to discuss a wide variety of themes currently impacting Black travel professionals, entrepreneurs and creators.
"Each year we aim to create a space for Black travel professionals, from every walk of life, to be seen, heard and recognized," said Anita Moreau, founder and CEO of Black Travel Summit. "BTS is intentional about highlighting and serving creators, entrepreneurs and corporate and industry professionals — including planners and suppliers — and it shows in our diverse programming. It’s important for us to act with support and inclusivity, which involves inviting people outside of the Black community as well. Many of our allies have commented about how enjoyable and welcoming the atmosphere is, and that atmosphere of good energy is what we strive to continue creating.”
The summit will be educational and inspiring, and will include ample opportunities to celebrate community members, according to Moreau.
“Over
the four days, we have sessions for each of the mentioned groups we serve," Moreau said. "[We will have] Black
heritage tours powered by our long-term partner Key2MIA;
Wavelength for Creators powered by Black Travel Alliance; our Black Travel
Awards Gala; a newly added Film Festival and Pitch Competition; and our annual
Yacht Brunch to conclude the weekend.”
Stephanie Jones, founder of Blacks in Travel & Tourism (BTT), shared additional details about BTS.
"We're
bringing Black tour operators to exhibit, who can then connect with Black
content creators and Black
influencers and advisors to help promote their Black history
tours,” Jones said.
Jones also noted that BTT’s Future of Black Tourism E3 Leadership Conclave will take place on Oct. 10-11 in Fort Lauderdale in partnership with the Black Travel Summit, bringing together travel and hospitality stakeholders, as well tourism industry leaders and CEOs to discuss the future of Black tourism.
“We're collaborating and attracting a broader audience because we all serve and represent different stakeholders in the industry,” Jones said of the group’s partnership with the Black Travel Summit. “By collaborating, we're able to broaden each of our audiences and bring more of the industry together in the same location.”
Black Travel Expo
Longtime travel advisor Maurice Foley said he created the annual Black Travel Expo primarily for consumers.
The 2024 Black Travel Expo will feature a variety of panel discussions and keynote speakers.
Credit: 2024 CHEA“I felt they needed a place to come to talk about their travel experiences or to learn about places they've never heard of — or places they've heard of but are afraid to travel to because of reports that are out there,” said Foley, who is also the founder of Two Oceans Travel & Tours.
Scheduled for Oct. 17-20 in Atlanta, Ga., this year’s Black Travel Expo will feature three days of networking mixers, keynote speakers, panel discussions and an exhibitor’s hall, where travel advisors can book their own exhibit booths and interact directly with consumers.
Foley noted that he started the expo, in part, after seeing a 2021 MMGY Global report that found Black U.S. travelers spent more than $109 billion on domestic and international travel in 2019.
“I thought, ‘Why is there not a platform, a meeting place, a conference or an expo for that particular group of travelers?’” he said.
The 2024 event in Atlanta will be the third-annual Black Travel Expo, and Foley made it clear everyone is welcome.
“Even though it's called the Black Travel Expo, we are open to all travelers, and those who are inspired or encouraged to travel more,” he explained. “We have had numerous people from various backgrounds and cultures and communities come out in the past because they were really intrigued by the community itself and how other people travel, and that was great.”
