Last year, MMGY Travel Intelligence determined that the U.S. Black travel market represents $145 billion in spending. But what drives Black travelers’ buying decisions? A new study from data and analytics company Nielsen sheds more light on the topic.
According to Nielsen’s 2026 Black Diverse Intelligence Series, 24% of Black respondents identify as travel enthusiasts, and that number jumps to 27% for Black Gen Xers. And when it comes to catching their attention (in advertisements, social media content and beyond), representation matters. Nielsen data shows that 67% of Black consumers report that they pay more attention to content that authentically reflects them, and their culture. Charlene Polite Corley, vice president of Inclusive Insights at Nielsen (and the principal researcher behind the Black Diverse Intelligence Series), spoke with us to dig deeper into that data.
Representation, Inclusion and Understanding Matters
Corley and the Inclusive Insights sector of Nielsen focus on “audiences who have been traditionally excluded, or maybe lumped in or glossed over.” Within those groups, they look at trends bubbling beneath the surface — trends that are likely to be key for any business looking to grow its connection to that audience.
Brands that pay attention to these trends have an opportunity to reach new consumers through a culture lens. They can demonstrate that they understand that consumer, and that authentic understanding stands to bring in new business.
“Especially when it comes to Black consumers, our data shows that representation and inclusion are top priorities,” Corley said. “They tell us, ‘I pay more attention when my race and ethnicity are represented.’ But brands also want to show, ‘I understand you, I understand your challenges, I speak your language.’ All of that nuance of experience is what I want to see from brands. And I think that goes for a travel advisor or a retail brand.”
Charlene Polite Corley is vice president of Inclusive Insights at Nielsen.
Credit: 2026 Nielsen
Corley gave the example of a client attending homecoming at their HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] alma mater. An advisor who knows the school, the campus, the hotels around it and what’s within walking distance demonstrates a type of cultural specificity that Black travelers are looking for.
Another critical part of meeting the needs of Black travelers is differentiating within the market. How an advisor reaches out to a Black traveler on their way to Comic-Con will need to look different than how they advertise to “rich aunties traveling the world and being fabulous,” according to Corley.
“Inclusion isn’t a monolithic approach,” she said. “It is the nuance that makes the difference. And knowing those differences and cadences are opportunities.”
Inclusion isn’t a monolithic approach. It is the nuance that makes the difference.
Understanding the nuances within the Black traveler market is part of a travel advisor's work.
Credit: 2026 AS Photo Family/stock.adobe.com
Tapping Into the Black Travel Market
MMGY’s “Portrait of Black Travelers in America” asked respondents what they want from a trip. Notably, Millennials reported an inclination to visit destinations that celebrate Black culture, that offer engaging cultural experiences and that provide opportunities to support Black-owned businesses. Many Black travelers are also interested in tapping into Black history, or ancestral tourism, in the regions they visit, Corley said.
Many options exist for this kind of travel, from walking tours and multiday itineraries to custom heritage trips. For example, in Los Angeles, Urban Odyssey Tours explores South L.A. via themed walking and driving tours of the historic Black cultural district. Viator also has numerous Black history and cultural tours on offer in the U.S. In the United Kingdom, the Black Heritage Walks Network guides themed walking and e-scooter excursions. Smithsonian Journeys offers the nine-day Paris: The African American Experience, which tours the city through the lens of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and more.
South Carolina's history of indigo production has inspired different tours and experiences.
Credit: 2026 South Carolina Office of TourismCorley mentioned community-led tourism efforts in Brazil (the country is home to the largest Black population outside of Africa) that focus on Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian stories. Domestically, she pointed to South Carolina and its history of indigo production (the work of harvesting and processing the plants fell to enslaved people prior to the Revolutionary War). Today, the South Carolina Office of Tourism is promoting ways travelers can learn about this history, and the art of indigo dyeing, from artists, historians and storytellers in the destination.
Rayvonne Healey, a travel advisor with Cruise Planners, named AmaWaterways’ Soulful Experiences river cruises as an exemplary product. These curated journeys celebrate Black history and culture in unique ways. Healey also suggests reading Travel Noire, an online publication that covers “the best products for Black millennials and Gen Zs across the African diaspora,” including this piece recommending Black-owned tour companies.
“This ties into the broader concept of Black folks wanting to align their spend with something that goes back into the community,” Corley said. “And that feeds back into ownership, which feeds back into the reconnecting of roots."
Who Can Serve Black Travelers?
Can any advisor serve Black travelers? Corley says yes, so long as the advisor has dedicated the time and energy to truly understand the audience.
“I will liken it to a really good hairdresser,” she said. “A really good hairstylist can do your hair and my hair, right? But that is a very rare thing, for me to walk into a hair and makeup setting and have somebody that I can trust to do my hair. So, the travel advisor who says, ‘Hey, I’m not part of the community, but I value and understand that you might have a different set of needs’ — that’s a start.”
To move the needle further, agencies might reflect on how their company demonstrates their representation and inclusion efforts.
“If we take it back to the data, especially in the Black community, we see this interesting support of, ‘I want my identity represented,’” Corley said. “‘I want to support creators and talent from my identity. But, I'm also open to seeing all other cultures represented well.’”
Corley shared another perspective, too — food for thought for advisors putting in the work to help Black travelers.
“So often, I go to a resort and I have more in common, visually, with the staff than I do with the guests,” she said. “Because there is a sense of community we carry with the diaspora, I think, ‘How are they being treated? How are they being paid? How are they being spoken to?’ So that’s something additional to think about.”
