ABC TRAVEL GREENBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE!
President of the Black Travel Alliance and host of National Geographic’s Black Travel Across America, Martinique Lewis, has turned her best-selling book, The ABC Travel Greenbook, into an app that travelers everywhere will have access to. From restaurants to recreation centers, transportation companies and Black history tours, the app for Black travelers will highlight Black events, businesses and communities around the world, and will serve as a resource that shows you everywhere search engines can’t.
The app was officially released on June 2nd, the three year anniversary of ‘Black Out Tuesday,’ when brands and people all over the world showed their solidarity in supporting the Black community and Black owned businesses.
The Black travel movement is growing at an all time high and Black travelers are injecting billions of dollars into the travel industry each year. The information in the app helps travelers locate Black owned businesses, communities, and events on six out of seven continents while staying safe in the current climate.
Inspired by Victor Hugo Green’s Negro Motorist Greenbook, this will be the first time travelers will have one digital resource that collectively lists all things Black pertaining to travel.This resource was created to celebrate Black culture and serve Black communities while also strengthening local economies and circulating the Black dollar.
A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR QUEER BLACK TRAVELERS
Historian and journalist, Paula Akpan created the Black Queer Travel Guide out of necessity and frustration when trying to plan a trip with her partner to Tanzania in 2019. Oftentimes, Black LGBTQ travelers claim two or more identities that are considered traditionally marginalized groups, and have to continually cross-reference information on a desired destination to make sure it is both Black and queer friendly.
“With the app, we hope to create a localized digital resource that is filled with content, advice, and recommendations from Black Queer Travel Writers and experienced travelers, meaning that we don’t have to piece together scraps from google searches that mainly pertain to white gay men and cis-het Black travelers,” Akpan says of BQTG.
The pandemic was a big help to Paula, as it allowed her the time to lay out the perfect groundwork for a fully recognized experience. She is currently transitioning from phase 1 to phase 2 where crowdfunding will be used to hire a graphic designer and focus on the development of a downloadable app. The app will include features like member profiles, messaging, booking capabilities, and multi-language support for international travelers.
“Black Queer Travel Guide is also more than the app,” she explains, “BQTG is committed to the Black queer communities it will be serving and that’s why funding raised through the app will go towards our services of supporting local queer charities and organizations, alongside providing support to Black queer folks who have been harassed, arrested or incarcerated on charges relating to their gender and/or sexuality through financial support for legal services and representation.”
As the Black travel experience continues to grow, so too should apps and experiences geared towards the diversity of our community. That is why this month, we celebrate Black apps focused on diversity and inclusion in travel.
