The 14 Best Black Travel Specialists to Help You Create Your Next ... - Robb Report

Three years ago, travel research and marketing firm MMGY Global released a report showing that Black Americans spent more than $100 billion on travel in 2019, a banner year for the industry. A staggering figure, for sure, driven by 458.2 million Black travelers stays or 13.1 percent of the US leisure travel market at the time. The pandemic upended such progress for all groups in 2020, and its lingering hold was evident in 2021 and 2022. Now, though, with the world fully reopened, expect Black travelers to expand their reach and ambitions alongside most five-star travelers: 49 percent of respondents in a survey conducted by Booking.com said they would likely spend more on their next trip.

What will drive their decisions on where to spend that expanding budget? Per a follow-up report by MMGY Global in 2021 54 percent of Black travelers were "more likely to visit a destination if they see Black representation in travel advertising." Additionally, 71 percent of US and Canadian respondents agreed that "safety was extremely or very influential" in their decision-making on whether a destination was perceived as desirable for Black people. A chance to connect with locals and engage with activities that highlight Black culture were also decision-drivers, according to a poll by Global Green Book of Black travelers from over 60 countries, attracting 67 percent and 40 percent of respondents, respectively.

The travel industry as a whole has a poor reputation for representation: More than two thirds of travel advisors in America identify as white, and barely more than 7 percent are Black. Finding those Black advisors, though, and working with one who truly understands the luxury market is time consuming and complicated—and that's where Robb Report's list can help. We've pulled together 14 need-to-know names, with varied specialties from cruise to safari, living and working everywhere from Atlanta to Tanzania—these are the people to call when you next want to book a vacation.