How the black travel movement is gaining momentum

(CNN) – Marked to constantly refuse jobs, Craig Kingston, 29, decided to do something radical.

So, the native of South Florida left the role he hated from nine to five, booked a one-way ticket to Vietnam and sold all his belongings.

But he was not quite ready for the attention that he would receive once he would have moved to the country of Southeast Asia.

"One of the most important things I face is being black," he told CNN Travel.

"There are not many blacks in Vietnam compared to Thailand and Malaysia, so people are watching you to the point that it's getting uncomfortable.

"I literally saw someone almost getting into a bike accident while looking at me."

Challenging stereotypes

In some ways, the reactions he had had were not surprising. The badumption – for some in any case – is that blacks do not travel.

However, tourism publications often depict a stereotypical western tourist looking generally at the horizon from the edge of an infinity pool.

"This poses a problem because psychologically it gives these people the feeling that it is not done for them.

"As they were not supposed to travel, we wanted to infiltrate this story and topple it."

In addition to addressing the under-representation of travelers of color, Travel Noire aims to challenge conventional wisdom that limits the accessibility of travel while providing access to resources that meet their needs.

This means that much of his job is to keep images of black people traveling around the world.

"We were amazed at how difficult it was to find a community of travelers that looked like us, let alone find high quality pictures or stories about them online," Wilson said.

"Black Travel has created a space for people of color to see themselves in the travel industry, keeping beautiful images, placing people around the world and making the travel industry a space for us. . "

Market in full swing

But it's more than just pictures.

With nearly five million millennial black travelers in the United States (this group spent at least $ 63 billion in 2018), there is a huge business opportunity for brands that are successfully responding to this market.

"Many of the available revenues are spent on international travel, but also on many people who are not taken into account in the travel industry," said Simone Ashley White, Deputy Director of Business Development for Blavity, Inc. (parent company). of Black Travel).

"The goal is to get people to travel more and work with the countries they go to.

"We work in partnership with tourism offices to think about how we tell this story, how we bring more dollars to different countries and how we reach black travelers wherever they are."

Travel Noire has invested heavily in its online presence to reflect the digital world in which we live.

The brand reaches more than a million people on social media and also publishes an information newsletter aimed at more than 150,000 people every day.

"We often work with influencers for marketing campaigns as well as writing our own urban guides," says White about his personalized itineraries, which provide workable content for over a hundred destinations worldwide. .

"We want people on the ground to experience these things – it's important because we know we can not tell you what's happening every day in other countries from the United States. . "

Cultural overview

The goal is to work with local travel agencies and businesses, while badociating with content creators and online influencers as major players in the travel industry.

Since the most popular destinations cover all regions of the planet, from Cape Town to Colombia, from Bali to Barbados and from Ghana to Greece, this can sometimes be difficult.

"For destinations across Africa and the Caribbean, it is very interesting to land in a place that has a large population of black people," Wilson said.

"In addition to the absolute beauty of these spaces, there is a sense of connection, comfort and enthusiasm when you visit places where a large part of the population resembles you.

"And for destinations in Asia and Central / South America, I think there's a huge curiosity for locals' lives."

Kingston arrived in Vietnam more than a year ago and states that he does not intend to return to the United States.

"There is nothing for me," he admits. "Why go back to work for another job dead because I do not have eight years of experience with my degree in most high-paying jobs, when I can live my life, be happy and travel the world ? "

Establish connections

Black Travel helps to share stories like that of Kingston by inviting his audience to write about his travel experiences, that it is about becoming fearless in Thailand or finding peace in Japan.

"Overall, black travelers are interested in destinations they are interested in. They feel a sense of connection, an opportunity to take on challenges and have the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and be transformed," he said. Wilson.

"And like all other traveling groups, they want to be able to get away from everyday life and enjoy everything the world has to offer."

Travel Black builds on its digital success – it regularly offers live webinars of up to 10,000 people at a time – by arranging face-to-face meetings. These offer people the opportunity to meet in the real world.

"People are building a life around exploration and it is helpful to give others concrete steps to achieve it," Wilson said.

"It's important, especially for people who might well start their journey from the beginning."

Although Travel Noire has organized its own trips in the past, this is not a concern at the moment.

Its main mission is to make travel more accessible to people of color.

"In short, we are changing the face of travel," says White.

"I think that being able to see someone who looks like you are saying that" it's a great experience "inspires you and encourages you to act on your side."