Supporting and Celebrating Black Culture in St. Louis

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St. Louis doesn’t just promote, but celebrates its Black-owned businesses and heritage, offering travelers more than a few experiences to support local Black entrepreneurs. Culinary experiences are an easy  one. Gourmet Soul Restaurant is reinventing traditional soul food in fun, innovative ways, while places like Turn are putting a healthy spin on comfort food. Pharaohs Donuts and La Patisserie Chouquette bring the sweetness with both local favorites and fancier pastries, offering curbside orders and – in Pharohs case – the occasional free afternoon giveaway! It’s not just culinary discoveries. Hospitality icons like Central West End Bed and Breakfast allow visitors to support Black-owned accommodations. A bit of yoga The Collective or art-based mindfulness at Shine In All Shades provide unique escapes all run by Black locals. Retail therapy is still a thing, supporting local businesses like the jewelry makers on display at Diversity Gallery or the authors sold at EyeSeeMe Bookstore. And while so much talk has erupted about tearing down and defacing statues, St. Louis is proud of its statues celebrating Black history, including Frankie Muse Freeman (Kiener Plaza), Harriett and Dred Scott (Old Courthouse), George Washington Carver (Missouri Botanical Gardens), and Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and James Cool Papa Bell (Busch Stadium). Visits to the Scott Joplin House or the National Blues Museum will bring the sounds of some of the nation’s most iconic Black musicians to life. For more information and resources to plan your trip, visit: https://explorestlouis.com/

Chickasaw Country: Discover the “First American Culture” Destination

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First Nation tourism is the antidote to cultural discovery as the pandemic continues. International borders are shut but within North America, destinations like Chickasaw Country offer glimpses into the pre-colonial cultures that first inhabited the United States. Americans can travel to their backyards, looking no further than Oklahoma, to experience this indigenous culture firsthand in respectful, responsible ways. The Chickasaw Cultural Center is the hub for demonstrations and experiences related to First American history and present-day culture, joining places like Chickasaw White House, Chickasaw National Capitol, Chickasaw Bank Museum, Chickasaw Council House Museum, and the Chokma’si Gallery in showcasing First American culture. And it’s not all old artefacts and traditional ways of life Exhibit C Native Gallery & Gifts, Oklahoma City’s premier First American art gallery, is located in Bricktown. The gallery displays works of numerous artists from the Chickasaw and southeastern tribes, as well as artists from across Indian Country. People can currently even visit and shop at the gallery with a personalized virtual tour. Exhibit C continues the vision of raising awareness of the many cultural experiences in Oklahoma, showcasing contemporary versions of these First Nation cultures. If getting outdoor is more your speed, Chickasaw Country boasts one of only three Oklahoma parks affiliated with National Park Service, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This beautiful oasis of water, foliage and wildlife is the perfect backdrop for all your favorite outdoor activities while keeping safe, social distance. A park favorite, amongst spotting wild Buffalo, is fishing! Year round, the various areas of the park offer fishing of all kinds for enthusiast. For more information and resources to plan your trip, visit: https://chickasawcountry.com/

“Insights and Perspectives on the Black Traveler” webinar, Dec 8th, 1 pm EST

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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 8th 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 8th by the DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion) Committee of The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).  

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Mexico’s International Festival of Santa Lucía goes Digital and offers the opportunity to enjoy lineup from the comfort of home

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The Santa Lucia International Festival, which started on the 11th of October in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has reaffirmed its position as one of the largest cultural events in Latin America with a 27-day program that brought over 300 artists to the homes of spectators across the globe.

“The Festival, which has championed access to culture as a universal right, due to the positive effect it represents on people’s mental and emotional health,” said Lorenia Canavati von Borstel, President of the Festival.

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GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP TO DOCUMENT AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC SITES IN CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED

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With a common goal of telling a fuller American story, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay; the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; and the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership will collaborate to map and identify sites and landscapes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region significant to African American history and culture. The project will map African American cultural sites in an effort to support their conservation and to enable the three states and their localities to fully consider them in their land use and development plans. This multi-state partnership will undertake unique pilot projects in each of the three states to identify sites and landscapes of relevance to African American history and culture. The project will also be guided by an advisory committee of professionals dedicated to preserving African American history. Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer of the National Trust, says, “Mapping African American historic places within the Chesapeake watershed is a critical first step in making sure that these places are protected and that their stories are told. As home to some of America’s first colonies, the Chesapeake Bay watershed region is already known to have a significant meaning to African American culture. Many major tobacco plantations were located there, as were many stops on the Underground Railroad. It was the place where Harriet Tubman and both Frederick Douglass and his first wife were enslaved. It includes many battlegrounds of the Civil War, as well as places of notable activism in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Generations of Black Americans have made their living from the waters of the Bay and have also used special places along the Bay and throughout the region for recreation. Historic sites and landscapes important to people of color are widely underrepresented in documentation and conservation priorities. This work will take one small step towards addressing that deficit. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places. SavingPlaces.org | @savingplaces

KCK CVB LAUNCHED ‘KCK TACO TRAIL’ OCT. 1 HIGHLIGHTING NEARLY 50 TAQUERIAS IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS

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The Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau launched the launch of the ‘KCK Taco Trail‘, a mapped-out trail of nearly 50 local taquerias. Within the last decade, the taco scene has exploded with taquerias all over town, making Kansas City, Kansas the go-to destination for authentic tacos. The KCK Taco Trail gives the community a flavor-filled experience of culture and history through food. Starting Oct. 1, locals and visitors alike can visit www.kcktacotrail.com to sign up for the KCK Taco Trail. The trail not only maps out where to find the most authentic tacos, but also gives diners the chance to win prizes. The KCK Taco Trail is ongoing however, consumers have until Oct. 31, 2021 to complete the trail and win prizes. To view a full list of the nearly 50 restaurants on the KCK Taco Trail, visit www.kcktacotrail.com. For more information, follow the KCK CVB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VisitKansasCityKS and Instagram at @visitkansascityks.

STATE OF YUCATÁN: TWO YEARS OF SUSTAINED GROWTH IN TOURISM

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Increases in air connectivity and visitor arrivals, support for tourism infrastructure and product development, the creation of health and safety protocols, and several accolades and recognitions — all are the direct result of the first two years of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal and his administration, working with the Ministry of Tourism of Yucatán to develop, strengthen and promote the state’s tourism industry, using a sustainable approach. “Facing the global challenges in the tourism activity, the State of Yucatán has not stopped for a single moment,” said Michelle Fridman Hirsch, head of the Ministry of Tourism of Yucatán. “Efforts have even been redoubled to move after the effects of the pandemic, towards a gradual and safe reactivation to contribute, in the first instance, to the economic recovery of the Yucatecan population and the state.” One of the main goals of the Ministry of Tourism of Yucatán ongoing efforts is innovation with a sustainable vision. More than 60 new tourism products have been developed and integrated in the state’s six tourism regions, covering market segments such as nature, culture, gastronomy, beach, adventure and “urban premium,” among others. With this effort, it was possible to highlight — and bring tourism products to — places like Tekax, which saw a new tourism surge, increasing its visitor numbers by 300%. Today, the historical city — briefly the state capital, in 1845 — has new investments and more qualified personnel.

STATE OF GUANAJUATO, MEXICO LAUNCHES REACTIVATION CAMPAIGN

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The state of Guanajuato, located in the center of Mexico, in the region known as El Bajío, and home to the colonial jewels of San Miguel de Allende and the state’s capital, Guanajuato City, has started its tourism reactivation with the launch of its new brand with the slogan “Guanajuato, live great stories.” “We are inviting our visitors and tourists to be the protagonists of their own history, taking as a setting the tourist wealth of our state, as well as our World Heritage Cities, Magical Towns, archaeological zones — every corner of Guanajuato,” said Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo. “Today, from the heart of our capital city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, we announce to Mexico and the world that Guanajuato is the ideal place to live great stories.” Guanajuato has a rich history dating back to pre-Hispanic times, when nomadic indigenous populations made areas of the state their home, leaving behind unique archeological sites. The state is also the cradle of the Mexican independence movement and houses some of the most well-maintained colonial and baroque aquiculture of the Spanish conquest in the country.

DISCOVER DEEP FOREST GREEN THAT ONLY LITHUANIA HAS TO OFFER

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Earlier this year, Lithuania Travel presented a new Lithuanian image campaign entitled “Discover Colours You Never Knew Existed.” The campaign invites you to learn about the uniqueness and versatility of Lithuania, the country of untouched natural treasures, distinctive architectural objects, and quirky local gastronomy—a perfect place for all your senses. Baltic Blue and Rye Bread Black? Lithuania is indeed full of quirky shades. What do these colours mean? Kaunas Modernism Grey is the colour of rich history. Hours spent walking around architectural marvels is what makes you touch history, and lets history touch you. Rye Bread Black is the colour of feeling at home. The smell of a freshly baked loaf presented to you by your host. Vištytis: Right by the southwestern country border lies the beautiful Lake Vištytis and a town carrying the same name. The legend says that almost a hundred years ago a local man from Vištytis town harnessed the wind to produce flour. This year, the millhouse has come back to life for a different purpose—to educate the ones interested in the old crafts and to feed the hungry souls with mesmerizing views. Museum of Ancient Beekeeping: Soulful and rewarding friendship between bees and humans is what beekeeping is all about. Learn about this occupation dating hundreds of years back and treat yourself with a unique therapeutic experience. The Museum of Ancient Beekeeping offers aromatherapy in a new and original way: a cozy attic, the scent of bee products, the sound of bees humming. For more information, visit www.lithuania.travel/en.

MMGY GLOBAL LAUNCHES GROUNBREAKING STUDY ON THE BLACK TRAVELER UNDER A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH KEY ADVOCACY GROUPS

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MMGY Global announced that it is developing a series of market research studies to be informed by diverse travel advocacy organizations to better identify the needs, behaviors and sentiment of underrepresented travel communities. The first installment of these studies, powered by MMGY Travel Intelligence, is titled ​The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities and focuses on Black leisure travelers and meetings professionals. The Black Traveler study is set to be published in late October. The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities​ report will include results from: MMGY Global’s 2019 Shifflet ​TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monito​rT​M profiling Black leisure travelers within the United States, the development of an accurate measure of the economic power of the Black traveler, a new survey analyzing the current opinions and attitudes of Black leisure travelers globally, and a new survey of Black meetings professionals from the members of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP). To ensure the two new surveys appropriately document the true sentiment of the Black traveler, survey questions are being developed with oversight and input from a steering committee of diverse industry experts and through partnerships with travel advocacy organizations, including the Black Travel Alliance (BTA), the NCBMP and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD). MMGY Global and its supporting sponsors, including Choice Hotels International®, Tripadvisor and Virginia Tourism Office, ​have committed that all net proceeds will be donated back to the three partner organizations ​–​ BTA, NABHOOD and NCBMP ​– ​as well as several other not-for-profit groups. For more information, visit https://www.mmgyglobal.com/diversity-in-travel/.