Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1094881
L ooking back on the history of people of African descent in this country it is certainly clear that we are not strangers to travel. Many historians, including acclaimed professor and documentary filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, remind us that the first recorded history of Africans in this country actually began in 1565 over 464 years ago. Juan Garrido, the first known African to set foot on what would become America, was a free West African conquistador who traveled with famed explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, on a Spanish expe- dition that established America's First and oldest European settlement in St. Augustine, FL. Today visitors to the state of Florida would find two high ranking African-American tourism officials, Ken Lawson, President/CEO of Visit Florida and Connie Kinnard, Vice President Multicultural Tourism for Greater Miami CVB, leading the way to welcome all travelers to enjoy the diverse historic and cultural offerings of America's Sunshine state. A lthough exact totals are not known, it is esti- mated that during the 1600's through the 1800's, of the twelve million enslaved people brought over 5,000 miles from Africa to the Americas during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, approximately 388,000 were imported into the U.S. From literally traveling across the oceans as cargo in the holds of American merchant ships, to being first class passengers aboard the world's luxury cruise liners, our experiences have brought us from SLAVE SHIPS to CRUISE SHIPS. In fact today an African- American, Arnold Donald, serves as President and CEO of Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, the largest Cruise company in the world. T hroughout 2019 BM&T magazine will be running a series of articles chronicling many places where African Americans have traveled since their arrival on U.S. soil over 400 years ago. Showcasing many of the destina- tions featured in the upcoming NEW Green Book mobile app and digital directory, this series will be accompanied by the launching of corresponding PODCAST programs, expanding on African- American travelers' historical experiences, as well as showcasing current patterns and developing trends This cover story, Continuing the 400 Year Journey…Where OUR Travels Take Us, Following The NEW Green Book, is a prelude to that series and sets the tone for subsequent fea- tures and the conversation that will be heard on future podcasts. According to prominent national economic monitors, after Health Care, and possibly Technology, Travel & Tourism represents the 2nd or 3rd largest revenue generating and employ- ment opportunity industry in the US. Travel means tremendous business, generating $2.4 trillion in economic output and supporting 15.6 million American jobs across all U.S. industries Worldwide, Travel/Tourism is the largest rev- enue generating and employment opportunity Industry. In their 2018 African American Travel Study, Mandela Research reports that the overall ANNUAL economic Impact of African-American LEISURE Travelers is $63 Billion. It is estimated that an additional $9+ billion is spent by this mar- ket for business travel, including meetings, confer- ences and conventions. Let's take a moment to see where we've been and another moment to project forward to where we're going and the enormous potential our travel holds for greater expansion, enrichment and empowerment for people of color around the world. B M & T ••• November/December 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 18 CONNIE KINNARD ARNOLD DONALD KEN LAWSON