Tourism Marketers Must Now Go Beyond Optics to Reach Black Travelers
Photo Credit: The Black Travel Movement is thriving — why aren't tourism marketers responding? Unsplash / Humphrey Muleba
Skift Take
It’s long been the case that destination marketers have largely ignored Black travelers. But with the widespread protests following George Floyd’s murder, the industry is rightly being called out. It's time to go beyond mere representation and focus on holistic change from the inside out.
It was early June when many brands, tourism boards, and companies began posting the black squares. Ostensibly a show of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement — and the protests that swept across the world after the murder of George Floyd — the gesture quickly fell flat.
The reason for that was simple, say people in the Black travel community: The social media showmanship didn’t match past actions. “The travel industry is one of the whitest industries — which is very odd considering travel is supposed to be this innately inclusive place, but it doesn’t seem to be that,” said Martina Jones Johnson, a travel content creator and founding member of the Black Travel Alliance. The alliance formed in the wake of social unrest from George Floyd’s murder, and the ensuing pronouncements of “Black Lives Matter” from travel brands and companies.
For Johnson and her co-founders, the black squares were a tepid response to an insidious problem that has persisted fore
