by Brian Major
Last updated: 5:12 PM ET, Fri May 3, 2019
Doubling Bermuda's African American air visitors by 2025 is among the goals expressed in the territory's National Tourism Plan, officials said this week. The goal is achievable based on "extensive research" indicating the destination has under-marketed to the African Americans audience, said Kevin Dallas, the Bermuda Tourism Authority's CEO.
"Our research shows African American consumers make up about 11 percent of our target audience in the cities where we focus our marketing efforts," said Dallas in a BTA statement.
"Currently, only four percent of our leisure air visitors identify as African American," he said. "That means our destination is not winning its fair share of the African American travel market, which is now a $63 billion industry annually."
Bermuda's tourism plan outlines eight percent growth in African-American travelers as a primary BTA goal. In 2018, the organization collaborated with market research consultants Mandala Research to study high-income consumers with valid passports, ultimately finding culture- and culinary-themed experiences are key interests among African American travelers who visit international destinations.
"Sixty-four percent of cultural African American travelers say the availability of African American cultural and heritage attractions is very important to their choice of destination for their leisure travel," found Mandala's 2018 African American Traveler Report.
Based on the data, BTA officials have recently "worked with local food partners" to enhance culinary tourism. BTA also convened stakeholder meetings to "raise the profile of cultural tourism," focusing specifically on heritage stories within the African Diaspora, following the National Tourism Plan's October 2018 debut, officials said.
"If we can enhance our cultural tourism offerings and make them relevant to the African American experience and compelling to African American travelers, we can win with this audience and meet the ambitious target," said Dallas.
"And importantly, these enriched cultural offerings about the black experience in Bermuda will appeal to all audiences, regardless of race."
Tourism officials also link Bermuda's surging visitor arrivals in recent years to events including the 2017 America's Cup sailing tournament. Earlier this week the BTA officials announced Bermuda will be the exclusive tourism partner of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, beginning with the 2019 U.S. Open in New York City.
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