Skift Podcast: Black Travel Has Become a Movement

The travel industry has historically been dominated by white men, but over the past few years, travel companies created by and for black Americans have thrived.

Last year brought a flurry of media coverage of the burgeoning black travel movement thanks to groups including Nomadness Travel Tribe, Travel Noire, and an active social media community. But the challenges for black travelers haven’t disappeared, and the group is still underrepresented in leadership and media.

According to Nielsen, only 2.6 percent of advertising focuses on African Americans. But Mandala Research says 17 percent of African Americans take one or more international trips and travel more than six times a year, and black travelers spend nearly $50 billion a year across the globe. On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about the contemporary Black Travel Movement in the U.S., how it’s evolved, and what the future looks like for the community.

Our guests are Evita Robinson, founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe, a travel-centric community of more than 13,000 people, and Shannon Washington, co-founder and director of Parlour Magazine, which focuses on travel and style for black women. They join associate editor and podcast host Hannah Sampson and editorial assistant Sarah Enelow.