by Brian Major
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Tue February 10, 2026
Globally, African American, Afro Caribbean, Afro-Latin and African people
share a legacy of perseverance in the face of struggle, of excellence and
achievement and of enduring cultural pride. Black heritage travel weaves these
elements together, giving today’s Black traveler a linchpin through which they
can recognize and celebrate their many cultural contributions.
Indeed it is through travel to historic sites, museums and indigenous
communities, plus exposure to authentic cuisine, music and festivals that Black
travelers share and sustain their cultural legacy. In fact, in an age where
travelers are seeking to have meaningful
leisure journeys, Black heritage travel is more relevant than ever.
For many Black travelers, heritage travel begins in Africa, viewed by many as
a homecoming. In 2019, Ghana launched its “Year of Return” initiative, inviting
the Black diaspora to visit and even settle in Ghana. The initiative marked the
400 year anniversary of the first enslaved Africans being brought to North
America. While acknowledging the painful history of the trans-Atlantic slave
trade, the initiative also celebrated Africans’ resilience and contributions.
“I’ve seen a lot of Black travelers push into Africa,” said Belvin Baldwin
II, owner of Showtime Travel. “It is definitely popular with my client base. “I
think it’s going to continue to grow."
Baldwin said he’s noticed Black travelers
going to Africa for weddings and anniversaries, and “we’re seeing birthday
groups and people coming for events. So its definitely growing.”
Baldwin, who has led excursions to Ghana in the past, says other areas of
Africa are poised for growth.
“It's the 50 plus countries that make
up the continent of Africa I think they're all going to see an increase. You
know some like South Africa and Kenya and you know Egypt has always been there,
but it’s subsaharan Africa I think that's where you're going to see the most
potential with Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.”
“You’re seeing more and more [Black heritage
travel] in the diaspora, which is being connected to your roots and being aware
of the contributions of Black people all over the world,” said Laurence
Pinckney, CEO of Zenbiz Travel LLC.
Laurence Pinckney. (Photo Credit: KHM Travel Group, Annie Yu)
“I’m also encouraged by the number of people going to Ghana, Egypt and
Africa,” said Pinckney. “Normally I’d get [requests for] Paris, London, Dubai
and the Caribbean, but I’ve been doing a lot in Ghana, Egypt and South Africa as well. I’m also seeing a lot of interest
in Tanzania. [Black heritage travel] is not just for my people, but for other cultures
to come witness and experience the culture of the diaspora.”
Of course, Black heritage travel extends to destinations beyond Africa. “I’m
taking a group on an AmaWaterways Soulful Experience journey out of Paris where the traditional European rive
cruise is transformed into an educational, immersive trip focusing on Black
heritage,” said Pinckney.
AmaWaterways’ Soulful Experience itineraries celebrate the history, art and
influence of the African and Black diaspora through culture-rich excursions,
onboard performances and shared storytelling.
“This particular one focuses on Josephine Baker, the (Black) army forces who
fought in Europe and jazz, so it should be really interesting,” said Pinckney.
“I’m always giving group trips and I believe in educating our people and
taking them to various places,” said Nadia Henry, owner of Travel With Sparkle.
“I have a personal legacy with Martha’s Vineyard because my aunt was an
internal medicine doctor in the early 1920’s. She wanted a place to vacation in,
and to vacation in a place where she was accepted.”
Martha’s Vineyard featured a thriving Black community. “So Martha’s Vineyard
would be another area of African American travel,” said Henry. “They have a
slave trail there and the history is very rich because during segregation,
Blacks couldn’t vacation in the same areas as whites, but they found safe haven
at Martha’s Vineyard.”
Henry sees Black heritage travel as a natural extension of Black self-expression. “I
think that when African Americans travel, especially when they go abroad,
they’re always seeking out knowledge of how Black people got there and how the
country has associated with Black people,” she said.
International tour operators have recognized this sentiment, so now in Paris
“there’s a Black in Paris tour; in Amsterdam there’s a Black in Amsterdam tour,
and in Portugal, there’s a Black in Portugal tour," said Henry.
“I know since getting into travel in the early 2000’s, clients of mine have always
wanted to go to different countries to learn about their culture,” said Henry. “They
want to vacation, but they always want to tie in some culture.”
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