For most of the history of tourism, travelers of color have faced adversity. Buses, trains, taxis, and hotels were segregated. Even the airline industry in its early days had racist policies.
The Civil Rights era brought sweeping reforms, and over the generations, people of color have garnered more expendable wealth, allowing them to travel more. And in 2020, the travel and tourism industry finally awoke to the realities of travelers of color and began looking for ways to make the industry more inclusive.
It's easy to assume that young travelers of color, those under the age of 30 years old, have had a different experience with travel and tourism than the generations before them. But is that the case? We wanted to find out - so we spoke with people of color from various generations to discover how young travelers of color experience travel today.
In speaking with various subjects, we realized that young travelers of color are set to be one of the most impactful groups in the industry.
Travelers of Color Over 30 vs. Travelers of Color Under 30
When looking to see if young travelers of color travel more, less, or differently than their parents' and grandparents' generations, we must first start with the experiences of older generations. However, this is easier said than done.
We might have looked to statistics and studies of the past to determine a shift over time, but we don't really have that information. The fact is, that the first widely-known study to examine the trends of travelers of color was completed in 2010 and it was done by Mandala Research to examine Black travelers and their spending habits. Soon after, reports on the spending habits of Hispanic, Asian, and Muslim travelers were conducted. However, the reports did not break down spending habits based on age.
Without studies, statistics, or surveys, we must then rely on anecdotes and general historical knowledge to determine the travel experiences of older Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers of color.
We spoke with Jemica Archer, who is a 45-year-old Black travel advisor and founder of TruBlue Travels. She stated her early travel experiences weren't frequent. "As a child, we really didn't have the ability to travel much," Archer said. "We did do some domestic trips to Vegas and theme parks. I didn't start traveling on my own until about 28 or 29 years old."
Valerie Dorsey, a Black luxury travel advisor and owner of Charmed Vacations, Inc., dba Cruise Planners had a similar experience, noting that her family did car vacations. She was in her early 20s when she took her first flight and began exploring the U.S. and the Caribbean on her own.
Danny Guerrero, the Latino founder of The Culturist Group, a multicultural brand marketing communications practice for travel brands and destinations, delved further into why his family wasn't able to travel when he was a kid.
"My childhood was mostly in poverty, but lucky for me I grew up in San Diego, California, where beach and park outings were a constant," he said. Though his family saved up for Disneyland and Sea World excursions occasionally, it helped that these attractions were in his backyard and didn't require the costs of a full road trip.
"International travel didn't really begin for me until my 20s, and in college, when I first visited my grandfather in Jalisco, Mexico, and then got to travel to South Korea for a program for college students and Washington DC for a White House Internship Program," he explained.
Dorsey, Archer, and Guerrero all speak to how travel was limited in their childhood due to financial accessibility. This makes sense when we look at the median household incomes of the past. While Dorsey, Archer, and Guerrero are from various generations, we decided to look at the median household income in 1990 as it serves as a mid-ground between those of the Boomer generations and Gen Z.
In 1990, the median household income for white households was $31,231 which was significantly higher than the Hispanic median household income of $22,330. Black households had the lowest median income at $18,676. Income rates for Asian households weren't provided in 1990 and the national rates of other communities, like Native Americans, was difficult to find, though in looking at state statistics, they were among the nation's highest poverty rate.
People of color did not have a lot of disposable income a generation or two ago to take far-flung trips around the world or even across their own country.
So what changed?
"I absolutely know that people of color are traveling more because they have more disposable income," Dorsey said. She also added that young travelers of color today were exposed to travel by school trips or internships, as well as their parents.
For Archer, who is the mother of a Gen Z adult, this rings true.
"Once I became a parent, travel was a priority to give to my daughter. So, she started traveling around the age of 8. My daughter and I take international trips every year," Archer said.
The Young Traveler of Color Experience
We know from research as recently as April that Gen Z and Millennials are leading the way in travel planning and spending. However, we don't know how these statistics relate to young travelers of color because there hasn't been any research that focuses solely on this group.
In talking with Guerrero, Dorsey, and Archer, we may surmise that young travelers of color are hitting the road more than their parents did, but it's important that we look at the nuances surrounding their experiences and speak with young travelers of color.
Archer's daughter, Kiara Ivey, had a parent who worked in the travel industry for most of her life. Travel, thus, was a big part of their family experience. "My mom has taken me to many places like Italy, Mexico, and Colombia so I'm very grateful for that," Ivey said. Her mother added, "We are going to Ghana and Brazil together. It's been such a pleasure for me to get her passport and watch her add stamps."
But not all young travelers of color had the same experience. Eva Arreguin is a 28-year-old, second-generation, Mexican-American podcast host and founder of De Colores Radio in Dallas. She explained that the biggest trek her parents made before having a family was from Mexico to the U.S. Prior to that, they had to visit nearby towns on foot. In the U.S., Arreguin's family didn't begin to travel until her parents had some economic stability.
"We took a couple trips on planes when I was growing up, but I predominately remember driving trips to driveable places like Galveston, South Padre Island, and San Antonio, that were a bit more affordable," she said. "I remember two big flying trips as a kid; one was to Disneyland and the other was when we went to Acapulco, Mexico when my mom's business was doing well."
This is not to say that all young travelers of color who have immigrant parents have the same experience.
As Rahul Tharoor, a 23-year-old Indian American medical student, explained, "My parents moved to the U.S. for their undergraduate education. Once getting married and finding jobs, they did travel around North America and also made trips to the United Kingdom and India," he said. "I've been to over 20 countries in the world, and almost all these trips were with my parents. Since we lived in India for a couple years during my childhood, we had the opportunity to travel easily within Asia as well."
Even with their different backgrounds and financial familial histories, all three of these young travelers of color did some form of travel in their childhood, and it's led them to travel as adults today.
Arreguin had the benefit of attending a three-week study abroad program in Europe as a high school student. She then visited New York City her senior year of high school, but traveling was put on hold in college. After graduating, she went to places like Cancun, music festivals, and beaches with friends.
"Next month I'm going to Spain and I'm so excited and a bit nervous but also proud of myself to explore new heights, even in tumultuous times," Arreguin said.
Ivey and Tharoor are younger than Arreguin. Tharoor is in medical school, but while an undergrad, he began exploring the U.S. on road trips and short flights. He has taken one international trip without his parents (he went with friends) to Belgium, Netherlands, and France.
Much of Ivey's travel experience has been done with her mother, but she's managed to have some of her own getaways with friends, especially as she transitioned from college life to a career as a graphic designer during the pandemic.
"Unfortunately, I have not taken any trips internationally as an adult without family, but I have gone to Daytona Beach with friends, and next month a few of my friends and I are going to the Florida Keys. I have plans to go to South Korea in 2024 with friends as well. I have never traveled somewhere for leisure alone," Ivey explained.
Obstacles That Young Travelers of Color Face
Although we seem to be seeing more young travelers of color hitting the road, that's not to say that they don't face some challenges. Because of their age, we can assume that many of them are still in the early stages of their career and thus, don't have the disposable income of travelers of color over the age of 30. Plus, many of them became adults, entered the working world, or had just started their careers when the pandemic hit.
Arreguin also points out, "We do unfortunately get paid a lot less and have a lot more to worry about financially."
She is referring to the pay wage gap that Black, Latin, Native American, and Pacific Islanders experience in the U.S. Asians are the only racial group that earn higher on average than white people. The pay wage gap widens for the person of color if they are a woman, identify with the LGBTQ+ community, and/or have a disability.
"I feel that generations before me, including my parents, did not have the means of traveling across the world like I have. If they did travel, it'd be somewhere within driving distance, to visit families or for a small relaxing trip," Tharoor said. "People of color in this country do not have the generational wealth that many others who travel may have. The more generations along we go, the more people of color there are who have accumulated generational wealth, and therefore are able to travel easier."
The cost, and even the financial setbacks that young travelers of color face, is not something that seems to dissuade them from traveling. "I think travel is becoming more accessible to young people of color who are able to have access to an understanding of why it's important to learn from other people and visit different places," Ivey said. "Even if it isn't accessible, we see it as a way to build new experiences and will find a way to do it anyways."
Financial accessibility isn't the only thing these young travelers face. Young travelers of color and travelers of color from older generations are similar in that they both may deal with discrimination while exploring the world.
As Ivey said, "I think that young people of color will always need to exercise a level of caution when traveling. It definitely shouldn't stop them, but just like in our home country of America, people aren't always going to be inclusive, respectful, and welcoming."
Arreguin, herself, has experienced racism firsthand while traveling.
"I know in my travels there have still been many moments of discrimination which were uncomfortable. We do hear of cases like Airbnbs being racist and thus are really unfortunate and uncomfortable to consumers, but we do have a lot more options than generations prior," she said.
Even with the knowledge that they may have some financial drawbacks and face discrimination on the road, these three young travelers of color have a positive outlook on the state of travel. They recognize that there have been improvements around inclusivity in the industry.
"We can do beach vacations, camping trips, or stay in 'safe haven' places like hotels centered around LGBTQ+ individuals," Tharoor explained. "In many cities, there are pockets devoted to certain cultures that we may identify with. Because of this, we feel more comfortable traveling to specific destinations."
Marketing to Young Travelers of Color
The travel industry would be wise to market to young travelers of color. As Dorsey said, "The earlier the better for getting new travelers to the market. They are the future." Archer, herself, is making moves to specifically cater to this market. "I am currently in the process of working on something geared toward this demographic, a niche service catering to young international travelers of colors," she said.
From an industry standpoint, it makes sense. For far too long, people of color were not considered an important travel market. But research has shown that Black and brown travelers are a largely untapped multi-billion-dollar market. If young travelers are planning to spend more in 2022 than any other generation, it would make sense that young travelers of color are an especially important group to cater to.
But if you thought that you could market to young travelers of color like you do any other generation before them, you would be wrong. Guerrero emphasized this: "This is exactly what The Culturist Group is all about. We are educating our clients, travel brands, and destinations that the emerging traveler, the consumer who is increasingly multicultural and diverse, is not going to be content with generic branding or propositions that promote solely a leisure aspect of travel."
In fact, he finds that Millennials and Gen Z differ in their approach to travel. (Millennials make up a small portion of travelers of color under the age of 30).
"Research programs that I have been involved with, and my own experience observing Black and Brown travelers, tell us that people of color of a young age, specifically Millennials, see travel as a way to express themselves, assert their identity, and connect with themselves, culture and nature. Travel provides a sense of empowerment," he said.
In talking about travel, Arreguin, who is part of the lower-end of the Millennial generation, proves this to be true. She spoke about travel as a deserved experience for all and a means of self-care and rest that we all need.
We can see how travel has been an empowering experience for her when she said, "I honestly didn't realize the great impact it had on me until quarantine - when the freedom to roam was taken away. Traveling across Europe at a really young age definitely allowed me to realize that the world was my oyster. It allowed me to dream more and connected me to many different forms of beauty which is what life is about."
And for Gen Z travelers of color? Guerrero says that they'll be holding the travel industry to a higher standard than generations before them.
"Young people in Generation Z have come into their own at a strange time when the pandemic interrupted school, first jobs, and international travel, but all indicators show that Generation Z is going to be demanding even more from travel brands and destinations to ensure that the places they visit are inclusive, responsible, and good stewards of the planet," he said.
It was interesting to see this at play in the feedback that Tharoor and Ivey gave. There is a correlation between this idea that Gen Z is concerned about the planet and Tharoor's belief that travelers of his generation have "turned traveling into a way to be in touch with nature." He himself says he travels to "learn about other cultures and experience the beauty in nature."
Ivey, the daughter of a travel advisor, added a few more insights into what young travelers of color are looking for.
"I think the travel industry is now beginning to learn the values of people my age," she said. "I'm in Gen Z, and I would say, for the most part, we crave a life outside of what has been previously defined by older generations. We want to explore, be a little wishy-washy, and get every experience before we have to commit to life, and I don't think that is a bad thing."
But are young travelers of color looking for specific experiences? Ivey thinks so.
"I think young people of color are interested in visiting their homelands. They want to see the places their families are from. I'm a Black American, so I'm not able to have the privilege to know exactly where my roots are from, but I at least want to go to the motherland and see all her different parts," she said.
She also points out that young travelers of color may choose certain destinations based on their experience growing up in a world where the Internet was established and there was more access to international pop culture.
"I also think places in Asia are gaining popularity too, especially places like South Korea and Japan. I feel like a lot of people I know and the people on the Internet have consumed a lot of media from these places such as Korean music or anime, so they want to visit the places that were indirectly a part of their childhoods," she said.
The Travel Industry and Young Travelers of Color
The travel industry has a lot to consider when it comes to young travelers of color. In speaking with the three young travelers of color, they all seemed to associate traveling with "living in the moment" and experiencing places different from their own. Moreover, they understand that their parents and generations before them did not have the same opportunities.
"Some of us have the luxury to travel much more than those before us, who were not focused on traveling, but working hard to one day make it easier for the generations after them to enjoy life to its fullest," Tharoor said. "There's so much I have yet to see, but the foods I have tasted, the temples I have strolled through, and the hikes I've climbed have been some of the most spectacular experiences."
The original purpose of this piece was to examine the experience of young travelers of color in relation to travelers of color from generations past, but what we've come to realize is that young travelers of color are not a 'niche' to be ignored or looked over.
The travel industry would be incredibly wise to start shifting to this burgeoning market, one that Guerrero says will be the defining change for the industry in the near future and the long run.
"One-hundred percent of the population growth in the U.S. was multicultural. We will begin to see Generation Z, Millennials, and to an extent Generation X, overtake the Boomers as a very evident shift in values, motivators, and preferences for travel continues to take hold in the 2020s," Guerrero said. "So if the travel industry wants to sustain and grow recovery, it is imperative that culture, inclusivity, and sustainability are paramount in how travel brands and destinations operate."
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