Travel Advisor Innovation Report: U.S. Black-Owned Agencies Specialize in Africa Tourism

Henderson Travel, which touts itself as the first black-owned, full-service travel agency in the United States, pioneered genealogical travel to Africa back in the 1950s when it was unheard of. Today the agency is a testament to the growing clout of the African-American travel market, one that reportedly accounted for $63 billion in travel spend in 2018.

With 2019 designated the Year of Return in Ghana, Henderson Travel and Palace Travel, also an Africa specialist, are planning tours that will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first slave ship to leave Ghana for the Americas. While a tragic anniversary, the tours promise to be a celebration of culture and heritage.

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— Maria Lenhart, Travel Advisor Editor

Featured Stories

Black-Owned Agencies in the U.S. Carve Successful Niche in African Tourism: Henderson Travel, a black-owned agency founded back in the Civil Rights era, pioneered roots travel to Africa. Its continued success is a testament not just to the popularity of genealogical tourism, but a booming African-American travel market.

The Must-Have Items Travel Pros Always Take on the Road: Take a page from the books of some experienced travel advisors from around the U.S. before you head out on your next adventure or business trip. We love the suggestion to swap out the hotel room’s bar of soap with your favorite from home to start your day at ease.

Tourism

The New York Times Misfires With 52 Places to Go List: Nobody wins from The New York Times making a spectacle out of people’s dreams and then recommending a trite list of places to visit. The prominence of destination lists also speaks to the bigger problems in travel media.

Why Iceland’s Tourism Boom May Finally Be Over: Tourism grew to one-third of Iceland’s economy in 2015, boosting the country’s dependency on the sector. But things are likely changing, and it’s unclear what comes next.

Bangkok’s Prolonged Haze Could Cost Millions in Tourist Dollars: Bangkok needs more than rainmakers to be treated seriously as the world’s top city destination, and to be a strong contender for medical tourists. Here’s what’s choking the city and why it’s unhealthy for tourism.

Philippines Mulls Limiting Cruises to Boracay as Overtourism Worries Mount: The Philippines wants cruise dollars. But Boracay, which has reopened after some rehabilitation, does not. The island is a key cruise stop but can carry only so much. Tourism authorities and cruise lines should work out the sums.

Will the Nairobi Attacks Dent Kenya’s Tourism Boom? After this week’s terror attacks in a Nairobi hotel complex, a question mark hangs over the continued growth of Kenya’s lucrative tourism industry. But tourists have been here before, and as long as there are no follow-up attacks, mass cancellations seem unlikely.

Wellness

The Megatrends Defining Wellness in 2019: Find out what’s on the rise and worth tracking in the wellness industry this year with these Megatrends, from mind- and body-focused co-working spaces to health biohacking to the continued buzz around CBD.

Airlines

Aeromexico Made a Highly Relevant Video Ad That’s the Opposite of Divisive: Aeromexico’s viral video shows how Americans and Mexicans have more in common than you might think.

United’s Focus on Revenue Gains Gives It an Edge Over Rivals: United President Scott Kirby and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella, who worked together at US Airways and American Airlines, deserve credit for the airline’s turnaround. Then again, when they arrived United was a broken company, so there was probably only one way to go — up.

Skift Travel Advisor Editor Maria Lenhart [mbl@skift.com] curates the Skift Travel Advisor Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday. Have a story idea? Or a juicy news tip? Want to share a memo? Send her an email.