PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Thursday, March 18th, 2021
Black Travel Alliance Named Among Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award 2021 Winners
Organization making strides in amplifying Black voices recognized among 30 individuals, companies, and organizations making an impact in travel
New York, NY, March 18, 2021 – Black Travel Alliance, an organization with a mission to amplify Black voices through global alliance and education, while driving accountability with collective solutions, has been honored by Travel + Leisure as part of The Global Vision Awards 2021. This recognition was provided to 30 individuals, companies, and organizations making meaningful strides in responsible travel and sustainable living.
To arrive at this year’s list of honorees, an esteemed panel of experts across the travel, hospitality, and retail industries, as well as the non-profit sector, submitted nominations, which were then narrowed to a select list of finalists, then vetted by Travel + Leisure editors. The Global Vision Awards 2021 are featured in the April issue of Travel + Leisure and at www.travelandleisure.com/global-vision-awards/.
“We are honored to receive this recognition and be named among this talented list of individuals, companies, and organizations making an impact in travel, as this is truly what makes up our DNA as an organization – making change for the better,” said Martinique Lewis. “This is just the beginning of Black Travel Alliance’s work in the space, as we continue important efforts to elevate Black voices in travel and empower content creators, as part of our mission.”
Black Travel Alliance was formed in June 2020, with an impactful program at its inception: #PullUpForTravel. This campaign called on destinations and travel brands to take #BlackOutTuesday support beyond social media and work toward meaningful representation of Black voices in the travel industry. This was done through the Black Travel Scorecard, which evaluated KPIs in areas, including employment, conferences & trade shows, paid advertising, press, and philanthropy. This study proved that there is much work to be done in the area of diversity in travel. Thus, The Black Travel Alliance has provided consulting, and campaign help to brands and DMOs who reach out. The Black Travel Scorecard will see a second iteration in 2021 to measure the changes.
Joining forces with the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD), and market research firm MMGY, Black Travel Alliance also published a groundbreaking study in early 2021: The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities. The study results showed Black US Leisure Travelers spent $129.6 Billion and analyzed Black travelers’ sentiments about leisure travel with staggering findings including data demonstrating that Black travelers – particularly those in the U.S., Canada, and U.K./Ireland – are paying close attention to how destinations and travel service providers approach diversity and have indicated that it has an influence on their travel decision-making. Detailed findings are here.
In addition to the organization’s continuous work in shedding light on the lack of Black representation in the travel industry, the Black Travel Alliance has also provided numerous educational touchpoints for the Black content creators as part of the organization, including networking events and trainings centered on SEO, pitching and brand building, among others.
Follow Black Travel Alliance’s social channels on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and for more information about initiatives underway, visit BlackTravelAlliance.org.
ENDS
For more information
Media Contact: Martina Jones Johnson
Phone: 347-871-8236
Email: mediarequests@blacktravelalliance.org
Internet: www.blacktravelalliance.org
About Black Travel Alliance
The Black Travel Alliance is a global union of Black travel content creators. The mission of the organization is to amplify Black voices through global alliance, by providing education, creating opportunities, and driving accountability with collective solutions. For more information, visit www.blacktravelalliance.org.