Black Travel Summit: Curating Culture, Community and Connection
Empowering, Inspiring, and Uniting the Black Travel Community at Black Travel Summit this October
Black Travel Summit’s third global summit will take place in Ft. Lauderdale, F.L. from October 10 -13. This year, a fourth day has been added to provide even more events designed to empower, educate and connect Black travel professionals and enthusiasts.
To-date, Black Travel Summit (BTS) has conducted two webinars, 40+ virtual events, three live mini summits, two global summits, and brought together over 10,000 of the Black travel industry’s most renowned experts, influencers and partners to exchange and generate ideas about collaborating and expanding Black involvement in tourism.
“The Black Travel Summit was beneficial to me because as a creator finding my space, I felt very welcomed and a part of something bigger than me.” Jameela Malcolm
The Vision of Black Travel Summit
The founder of this organization, Anita Moreau, naturally became a leader in the Black travel space over time. An archeologist by trade who has been traveling since age seven, Moreau has a knack for curation and passion for supporting fellow Black travelers. “When I started Black Travel Summit, I had already learned so many brands through my initial travel ventures and BTS was my way of bringing them together,” she said. “I just started it because I felt compelled to, something made me feel like I had to do this.”
Black Travel Summit (BTS) was incorporated in the winter of 2019. Then COVID happened, but like any determined Black woman, Moreau pivoted and the summit went digital until 2021. The webinars provided a travel community when everyone was stuck inside and generated excitement for the first in-person event in 2021.
Building Connections
During the summit, attendees will have an opportunity to connect with like-minded travel professionals during various events like a giveback session for a local non-profit, Kemetic Yoga, the organization's inaugural Black Travel Film Festival and a yacht brunch. Patrons can also meet representatives from brands and destinations focused on diversity including Hyatt, American Airlines, Ama Waterways, Visit Lauderdale and Experience Grand Rapids.
One example of the business potential at BTS is the connections Duke & Dame made during the 2021 summit. This Black-owned spirit company now has their award-winning salted caramel whisky available across several Hyatt, Hilton, MGM and Sandals Resorts properties and onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.The brand was also able to grow their previous relationship with Carnival Cruise Lines to be offered on their worldwide fleet.
Content creator Jameela Malcolm, Jemazing Travels on Instagram, is looking forward to attending BTS again. “The Black Travel Summit was beneficial to me because as a creator finding my space, I felt very welcomed and a part of something bigger than me,” she said. “Just meeting so many new people, gathering with familiar faces, having conversations about things that appeal to me as a Black travel content creator was so important, encouraging and inspiring.”
Collaborations to Advance the Culture
In addition to the BTS scheduled events, patrons will also have a chance to attend activations hosted by other organizations. Black Travel Alliance’s Wavelength for Creators is an included benefit with the practitioner/traveler pass and Future of Black Tourism will hold the E3 Leadership Conclave as a separate ticketed event during the weekend.
The weekend also includes a speaker series; several tracks for creators, leaders, and entrepreneurs, the BlackAF tour which shines a spotlight on Black-owned businesses in town; a pitch competition and the Black Travel Awards Gala. To view the full list of events, take a look at the 2024 Black Travel Summit Agenda and be sure to grab your tickets today.
