THE BLACKLIST:
TRAVEL EXPERTS
2020 saw a racial reckoning within the travel industry as it did across most industries is in the US. Magazines made public statements to do better in future and, while we are seeing more coverage by and on Black travelers, the annual lists recommending travel experts is still shockingly and overwhelmingly white. These lists are not just void of Black representation, but any representation of any of the countries being sold by these experts.
Inclusions on these lists translates into increased bookings and revenue for the named experts, including more diversity would be directly supporting minority owned companies. So we are forced to ask, why is more effort not being made by companies who pledge to do better?
So we, The Collective, have gathered a list of Black Travel Experts who deserve to be on these lists, who deserve the business advantage that they provide. We hope this list serves as further inspiration for magazines to give Black and other minority-owned businesses the same recognition as their white counterparts. We call on them all to do better.
AFRICA
TIFFANIE ANDERSON
Away to Africa is a destination management company dedicated to providing guided, cultural tours throughout select countries in Africa. Experience the best, the hidden gems & everything in between throughout 14 countries in Africa.
SHERWIN BANDA
As the longest established luxury safari operator focused exclusively on the African continent, African Travel, Inc. is dedicated to creating and providing the ultimate African experience.
MONA BOYD
Landtours Ghana Ltd. is a premier, full service Destination Management company that is based in Accra, Ghana. Landtours features over fifty customizable itineraries and travel choices spanning six West African countries.
BHEKI DUBE
Curiocity is a network of African design hostels & hotels, sharing an authentic experience of this continent, one city at a time. As an accessible, design hospitality offering Curiocity gives travellers the chance to stay in spaces that are not only affordable but also amazingly designed
RACHEL JOHNSON
The Butterfly Effect reintroduces the diaspora to their homeland through cultivated travel experiences, self-discovery and philanthropy.
JUSTA LUJWANGANA
Founded by a Tanzanian-Brooklynite, storyteller and curious traveler is on a mission to visit every corner of Tanzania. Leaving no stone unturned while sharing with her audience/ guests the beauty of her homeland has to offer.
MINAZ MANJI
Twiga Tours focus is mainly concentrated on offering high quality safaris experiences within East Africa and in particular Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.
ALIOUNE MBOUP
Travel Stylz is dedicated to offering you the best prices and advice, while maintaining an emphasis on customer service. This travel agency focuses on providing excellent service, while focusing on unique vacation budget and needs.
PENNY NDLELA
Soul Traveller Tours is a provider of immersive, authentic group experience packages that bring people together to live in the moment and unite South Africans and internationals alike.
EYITEMI POPO
Girls Trip Tours hosts trips to various African destinations with the goal of empowering future female leaders through mentorship, while taking in the sites and dining around town with high profile business women and local industry leaders.
VIKA SHIPALANA
VS Luxury Group is a one-of-a-kind Luxury Concierge Service. Services extend beyond luxury travel or glamorous event planning. They also help our clients with managing their day-to-day activities, big or small.
EUROPE
JULIA BROWNE
Black Paris travel expert Julia Browne founded Walking The Spirit Tours in 1994 and pioneered the genre of Black heritage tourism in Paris. Visitors get an in depth, unique French travel experience so that they can effortlessly discover the soul of France.
NAKY GAGLO
The African Lisbon Tour is a touristic platform with the goal to share about the lost, covered, unknown or silenced history of Portugal and the African Continent.
SHEREE MITCHELL
Immersa Global is an upscale American-owned inbound full-service tour operator and destination management company that specializes in exclusive food, wine, art, and faith-based programs as well as small meetings and events in Portugal.
DR. MONIQUE Y. WELLS
Explore African Diaspora in Paris with our signature Entrée to Black Paris tours and activities or experience the best of epicurean Paris with our gourmet walks and activities.
GLOBAL
ROSE & JANE AIELLO
Whether organizing package tours to Africa or international trips for our celebrity clients, founder Rose Aiello has built RA on a philosophical belief in the power of travel.
COLE BANKS
Sisters Traveling Solo trips have been curated to provide extraordinary travel experiences. Whether it's connecting to the local culture in India or visiting the islands of Africa, each trip is designed for travelers wanting a deeper connection.
KRISTA BETTS
Krista Betts has a reputation for creating innovative and immersive trips. Understanding how precious her clients time is, Betts takes great steps to customize each vacation to suit each clients wishes.
KRISTIN BRASWELL
Crush Global works directly with locals around the world to create authentic experiences that strengthen local economies and allow you to plan less so that you can enjoy more.
CATHY BROOKS-OLIVER
The team at Make Time for Travel provides immense value by providing superlative knowledge & expertise, travel inspiration, and relationships to an exclusive network of more than 1,700 of the top luxury travel providers all around the world.
JULIA BROWNE
Starting with just two African-American history tours, we now offer a full range of Black Paris & Beyond vacation and travel services that help share our passion for Black heritage and give travelers an authentic taste of traditional France and Europe.
AMINA DEARMON
Perspectives Travel exists in order to bring personalized luxury to people who have the desire to travel constantly but not the time to plan travel expertly.
JACK DUNCAN
Blank Canvas' expertise and personal knowledge of all their travel experiences will enable you to create your perfect tailor-made trip.
JIDE EHIMIKA
Noirbnb is a global travel community that provides experiences and events with a focus on including and celebrating travelers of color.
RASCHINA FINDLAY
Raschinna Findlay is an expert in high-end, luxury travel - whether you are looking for a luxury villa and yacht, cruise, adventure travel, or cultural destination, Raschinna creates experiences that transcend the ordinary.
Culture Traveler is a boutique luxury travel service for discerning individuals and groups inspired by diverse cultures, fine arts, exquisite cuisine and unique global destinations.
BRIANNA GLENN
Milk + Honey's goal is to make sure they know who you truly are and what you are looking for. Your vacation will be curated specifically for you, and they’ll utilize their expertise and contacts around the world to make sure you are treated like the VIP you are.
CLÉ HUNNIGAN
The Wind Collective is a global travel community expressing freedom through adventure and creativity. They travel not to escape but to truly discover how to be better, do more and embrace this beautiful place that we call Earth.
TILLE & JOSEPH JAMES
Tillie James Travel's focus lies in the group and luxury travel market. In addition to servicing individual client bookings, Tillie James Travel has successfully designed travel experiences for groups as intimate as ten and as large as 150 travelers.
KENNEDY JOHNSON
Green Book Travel is a full service travel company that specializes in hosting culturally immersive Ancestry & Heritage trips with an emphasis on the African Diaspora, while serving as an online source for travelers to connect with global black businesses in the tourism sector.
KEVIN KNIGHT
UEG is a collective group of people looking for a fun and exciting time while networking and checking off their bucket list items.
TIFFANY LAYNE
LaVon Travel & Lifestyle is a full service luxury travel collective, providing bespoke services to sophisticated jetsetters.
THOBEKA MAETELETJA
Yellow Hat Travels merges the art of connections with incomparable travel experiences to create memories, milestones, and magic for individuals looking to explore their own country and world at large.
MAYLA MELO
Mayla Melo is director of leisure travel at First in Service Travel, curating every last detail of your leisure holiday from offering up inspiring destination ideas to booking flights and hotels to coordinating all the creative elements that make a trip truly special.
ASHLEY MILANI
Dedicated to the travelers of color with a lust for life, the ones with a never ending desire to create lifelong memories, the ones who never let their circumstance limit their life experiences.
NIK MORALES
Travel goddess and travel industry guru Nik Morales, specializes in creating once in a lifetime experiences for discerning individuals. She is renowned for her hands on, out of the box approach and her effortless ability to connect with clients.
COURTNIE NICHOLS
Through their member services, TRVLB provides custom travel guidance, planning, and on the ground expertise and connections to make luxury travel as much a part of your life as your skincare routine.
ALLYSON OWENS
Allons Voyage has planned fabulous experiential travel for clients to 6 of the 7 continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Australia.
XAVIER OWONA
Blackvoyageurs is an online discovery and booking platform that curates one-of-a-kind travel experiences to Afro-descendant travelers, in destinations around the world.
CHRISTINA RICE
OMNoire is a social wellness community for women of color dedicated to living well from the inside out. Through workshops, events and retreats, they aim to empower women to find wellness on their own terms and what works best for their lifestyles.
KECHI RICHARD SHEIDU
Kahera Travels' specialists utilize their extensive global connections, first-hand experience and local knowledge to personalize your ultimate holiday. Whatever the budget, they ensure a luxury travel experience.
JALYN ROBERSON
Jaunts and Gems Travels helps travelers take amazing trips without the hassle & stress of planning and logistics. Jaunts and Gems is a full-service travel firm that provides premiere travel consulting & booking.
EVITA ROBINSON
The NOMADNESS Travel Tribe, started by Evita Robinson, was the first to break ground in the urban travel movement in September 2011. NOMADNESSis the travel experience for the adventurer with creative edge.
JANELLE RUHUMULIZA
Lilacs & Chai is a boutique travel company. We focus on high end luxury travel with a holistic approach. An affiliate of EMBARK Beyond a Virtuoso agency, travelers can expect tailor-made itineraries, added value, special perks and VIP recognition.
STEPHEN SCOTT
Travel Hub 365 is a luxury-focused leisure and corporate travel agency. We are a team that focuses its efforts on solving and simplifying the needs of corporate, entertainment, sports, and leisure customers globally.
CLAIRE SOARES
Up in the Air Life is a great option to meet like-minded individuals that like lux travel. They design and lead lavish group trips that invite you to submerge your senses. Trips are planned down to the last detail with great surprises along the way.
AYASHA TEAGUE
Your Blueprint Travel creates a detailed trip which aligns perfectly with your individual travel style while exceeding all dreams and expectations, leaving no questions unanswered.
LAVERNE WALKER
Sackville Travel Services Limited is an independent travel agency and tour operator established in 1976 specialising in the Caribbean, USA and West Africa.
SHANNON WASHINGTON
PARLOUR has been a top online destination for Black Women in search of the ever better. And through the lens of global travel and style. From planning her next trip, to creating the hottest itinerary and arriving in style.
KEMI WELLS
Wells Luxury Travel is a collective of luxury travel designers who are incredibly passionate about travel. Wells is here, whether looking for a once in a lifetime trip to Africa on safari, a bespoke gastronomic tour of Spain, cultural immersion in Argentina, or a wellness getaway.
NATASHA WILSON
Travel Goddess International strives to provide an ease to the process of vacation planning, through personalized solutions at an affordable price. Our friendly, knowledgable and well traveled team, help educate, inspire and bring "vacation goals" to life, for each and every client.