Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546515
B M & T ••• September/October 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 3 CONTENTS 15 15 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 5,SEPTEMBER/0CTOBER 2026 4 Publisher's Message 5 Calendar of Events 6 In The News 8 Hotel Happenings 14 Local Hero 29 Newsmakers 39 Cruise News 41 Caribbean Corner 43 South Carolina 46 Alabama 48 Arizona 49 Alaska 50 Houston 51 New Mexico 52 North Carolina 54 USVI COVER STORY FEATURES DEPARTMENT AREA GUIDES 32 32 The commercial airline industry is restruc- turing rapidly, and everyone from event planners to everyday travelers is feeling it. For anyone organizing a conference or booking group travel within the multicul- tural tourism sector, keeping up with the airlines extends well past group rates. Flying While Black: Inside The Race For The Multicultural Travel Market goes into detail. By Cheray O'Neal You know Kasey Summerville is listening when she leans in. Not the polite, nod-and- wait kind of listening. The kind that makes you think she's filing away your story for later, maybe to tell it back to you when you need it most. That's the first thing you notice about the new President and CEO of Visit Albany. A Conversation With Kasey Summerville tells the whole story. By Darlene Donloe Invite a meeting group or a team of star employees to travel to the Caribbean, and you're bound to capture a lot of interest. What's not to like about relaxing on a sandy beach fronting a seemingly endless span of turquoise water?. African- American Guide to Meetings, Incentives & Traveling in the Caribbean explores the possibilities. By Sonya Stinson 34 34 The Midwest earned its place in history. Black Americans built it - its music, its neigh- borhoods, its entrepreneurial institutions, its cultural character. When Black meeting planners, corporate executives, and reunion organizers choose this region, they are gathering on ground their ancestors claimed. African-American Guide to Meetings, Incentives & Traveling in the Midwest tells the whole story. By Cheray O'Neal 17 17 30 30 10 10 BL ACK MEETINGS TOURISM LLC Are you looking for a way to make your next incentive or retreat experience unique, relaxing, and engaging for your attendees, without breaking the bank? If so, consider booking an all-inclusive resort. All About All-Inclusives examines the options. By Patrice A. Kelly Franks Old Station, on Route 66 in Williamsville, Illinois The first thing I noticed about Burlington wasn't Lake Champlain. It wasn't the moun- tains. It wasn't even the postcard beauty that seems to appear around every corner. It was the air of confidence. A confidence that comes from a place that never chased someone else's idea of success. Burlington's Quiet Confidence Makes a Strong Case For Meetings and Incentives takes a closer look. By Zyan Avraham