Black Meetings and Tourism

Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009 : www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com "Mama, can we go?" "Daddy, would you like to go somewhere special?" "Honey, can we go on a trip?" "Sweetheart, why haven't we been to that resort yet?" "Hey girl, isn't it time for us to get away?" These words resonate in the households of millions of Black and multicultural families and couples and among friends across America. They certainly were common con- versations in our home while growing up in Chicago. My sib- lings and I looked forward to family vacations, even if only a car trip to see family in the South. And though we could not travel to the Caribbean back then, I've always had a passion for the islands. I'd spend hours looking through Ebony magazine, gazing at images of brown-skinned men and women in colorful swimsuits having a wonderful time on the beaches. I was fascinated when I learned that the people who lived and worked on those beautiful islands came from Africa and shared a common history and culture with me. As a teen, I dreamed of one day taking a vacation there and experiencing the pristine blue waters and picturesque beaches, eating exotic fruits and interacting with folks who looked so much like me and my family. Now, I've been to the Caribbean dozens of times — for business, family vacations and simple destressing get-a- ways, and I still consider it my personal paradise. My family even hosted a reunion cruise to the islands, and it was the first time that many had traveled out of the country. It was an experience that my 84-year-old aunt still talks about, as do several of my cousins, young and old. Travel is a passion for me and my extended family, but we are not alone. Black Americans and other multicultural peo- ple view travel as personal growth and enlightenment. We want to do more, see more, be more, live more. We want to become enlightened about the world around us. We crave new experiences that can enrich our lives and inspire our children. Yes, we want to have fun, but equally as important is what we take home with us from our travels — expanded knowledge, new experiences, a better understanding of our own culture and history, and that of others. We are inclined to dig deeper into our pockets so we can provide such trav- el experiences for our families and children. Too many African-Americans and other multicultural trav- elers do not take advantage of the proximity and dollar value of Caribbean travel due to lack of awareness of what the islands have to offer — for couples, families and as a reunion or meeting destination. Maybe this is because potential trav- elers like us have been ignored over the years by advertis- ing and media campaigns that primarily targeted White Americans and Europeans. That has always puzzled me. Maybe the folks who make those decisions don't know that African-Americans spend a whopping $30 billion to $40 billion traveling each year, with much of that going for leisure travel. In recent years, the multicultural Caribbean travel market has increased by an average of 11.5% each year while the general market has increased only 1.5%; and by 2020, more than half of all travelers worldwide will be non-White. Maybe those deciders don't know that Black Americans and other people of color enjoy incorporating a heritage experience in their travels, and they spend billions of dollars each year doing so. The Caribbean region is rich in culture and African history, and that is particularly appealing to 33 BLACK AMERICAN TOURISTS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN LOSS AND PROFIT FOR CARIBBEAN BY CAROL H. WILLAMS

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