Black U.S. leisure travelers spent $109.4 billion on travel in 2019 according to a report by MMGY Global “The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities” and a December 8^th webinar will present findings from Phase I of the study. The “Insights and Perspectives on the Black Traveler” webinar will be presented at 1 pm EST on December 8^th by the DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion) Committee of The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).  

The groundbreaking study was produced by MMGY Travel Intelligence in advocacy and support of Black travel organizations including the Black Travel Alliance (BTA), the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD). This session will reveal key insights from the study, including the power of the Black travel leisure and meetings markets, insights, and opportunities for content creators, journalists, and travel organizations to better understand the power of the Black Traveler. Supporting sponsors of the study include Choice Hotels International®, Tripadvisor and Virginia Tourism Corporation. 

Webinar presenters include Danny Guerrero, VP, North America Strategy, General Manager, LA and Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, MMGY Global; Martinique Lewis, President of Black Travel Alliance and James Warren, Founder/CEO, Share More Stories and Vice President of Brand Strategy, JMI working with Virginia Tourism. Lisa Skriloff, Editor, Multicultural Travel News/Multicultural Marketing News and SATW DEAI committee member will serve as moderator. The webinar is free for SATW members and $15 for non-members. Register here.

The Black Traveler report shares that Black U.S. leisure travelers spent $109.4 billion on travel in 2019 – the most recent year reflecting normal travel spend prior to COVID-19. This spend was generated by 458.2 million Black U.S. traveler stays(1), which represents 13.1% of the U.S. leisure travel market. The report also found that in 2019 Black leisure travelers took an average of three overnight vacations and spent an average of 13.1 nights in paid accommodations. U.S. Black travel parties spent an average of $600 on each overnight leisure stay, with an average stay of 2.5 nights for each trip.

“We have long suspected the amount that U.S. Black travelers spend on leisure travel was undervalued. So it is great to get confirmation through these two reports as a part of The Black Traveler study,” said Black Travel Alliance President Martinique Lewis.”   

“It is vital for travel industry executives to better understand the needs, behaviors and concerns of underrepresented traveler communities. The findings from the report should be a call to action for travel professionals and are an important step in both underscoring the value of Black travelers and identifying solutions to better serve this important travel audience,” said MMGY Global’s CEO, Clayton Reid. 

(1) Accounts for each city a travel party visits and takes the number of people in the travel party into consideration.

For any questions about the program, contact Lisa Skriloff, Multicultural Travel News/Multicultural Marketing News at lisa@multicultural.com or 212-242-3351.The Dec 8th webinar is free for SATW members and $15 for non-members. Register here.