Black travelers and travel professionals have a new holiday to celebrate diversity and their “impact, future and culture in travel”: National Black Travel Day, to be celebrated every Nov. 11 was recently declared by the organizers of the Miami-based Black Travel Summit (BTS).
“Black Travel Summit was founded with the aim of elevating and strengthening the presence of the Black travel community each and every day. With National Black Travel Day, we’re thrilled about this new call-to-action to recognize the importance of the global Black diaspora and culture in travel,” said Anita Francois, founder and CEO of Black Travel Summit, in a press statement.
Francois chose the date to honor the birthdate of Jamaican-American pilot Captain Barrington Irving, who was the first and only Black person to fly around the world solo in 2007. The first National Black Travel Day commemoration will have a private launch at sponsor Red Rooster Overtown in Miami, Ethiopian-Swedish Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant located in a historic Black neighborhood that once hosted legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X.
Black Travel Summit Details
The 2023 Black Travel Summit will be held Oct. 20-22 at Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami and will bring together professionals for development, networking and bond-building, as well as a speaker series with top Black travel leaders and tastemakers, workshops and add-on experiences—think a yacht brunch and a gala.
The Black Travel Summit was founded in 2019 by Anita Francois and has a deep commitment to supporting, empowering and fostering opportunities within the Black travel community. The organization has organized 40+ successful virtual and in-person events, collaborating with 190+ speakers, partners and sponsors.
“We are proud to continue our collaboration with Black Travel Summit and celebrate National Black Travel Day. This day is a testament to our ongoing commitment to uplifting Black voices, forging meaningful connections and paving the way for a more inclusive travel industry,” said Ronisha Goodwin, director of global diversity, equity and inclusion at Hyatt, in a press statement.
“Visit Lauderdale is excited to partner with the Black Travel Summit and so excited to showcase all the multi-cultural gems in our welcoming and inclusive destination,” said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, in a press statement.
For more information, visit blacktravelsummit.com.
