Black Travelers, whatâs on their radar and where will they choose to spend over $109 billion of estimated revenue? We talked to a few of our most successful black franchise owners, Isaiah & Deborah Banks, Leslie Richardson and Val Dorsey about what destinations black travelers are interested in for 2022.
According to the Mandala Research Firm,âŻ17% of African Americans take one or more international trips and travel locally more than six times per year. That equates to overâŻ$109.4 billion dollars in travelâŻand an untapped market with an exponential amount of potential for advisors to lean into.
Val Dorsey, who decided to become a travel agent and has owned a Cruise Planners franchise since 2011, and currently sits on the Northstar Black Travel Advisory Board, says one of the biggest misconceptions about black travelers is that the Caribbean is the only allure.
âThe world is an allure for us,â she said. âOur roots are not just from Africa but all over and weâre interested in seeing the different pockets where our ancestors are from. My goal is to educate everyone that weâre interested in everything- not just where we think black people are.â
So where are the popular destinations for 2022?
Leslie Richardson, a top-producing Cruise Planners Travel Advisor based in Houston, says Mexico, Dubai, Alaska, and Jamaica were all popular destinations for this coming year.
âMore black travelers are using travel advisors in the past few years so theyâre coming to us to navigate the new era of travel and supporting black business,â said Richardson. âI pride myself on really getting to know the destination and mode of travel and the people and the resorts. Knowing who to call if and when issues come up and being able to navigate things is a big part of what we do. Relationships are huge.â
Val, who worked in corporate America and is a former flight nurse, chose Cruise Planners for an encore career and saysâŻthe technologyâŻdrew her in, and sheâs never second-guessed her decision.
âOur travel story is one thing that needs to be told because blacks donât just travel under black agencies. We travel with those we love and trust so they can make good suggestions. Being black doesnât marginalize us, it makes us want to explore a different avenue.âWith nearly five million black millennial travelers in the US, who spent at least $63 billion in 2018, there's a huge business opportunity for brands that successfully cater to this market.
âWe have seen an increase of travelers and millennials using advisors because of protocols that are in place,â said Banks. âIt makes it easier to have that extra knowledge and also to have someone if something comes up and have a home base to call.â
âFrom the time we arrive and check-in, we are their eyes and ears for the trip,â said Deborah. âWe have evolved in a sense. In the past, you didnât see a lot of black travel agents but now you do. Weâre not alone and weâve grown in numbers. We educate ourselves in the industry. Cruise Planners does a lot to make sure weâre the cream of the crop.â
Dorsey says she hopes to educate people and says she loves to find pockets of black communities when traveling, like Black Paris and the Underground in Hong Kong.
âWe are more than one month a year,â she said. âWe are every part of the year. Weâre across the world. And our desires are the same as our white counterparts and learning where we are in the world. Our groups are everywhere.â
