This blog post was updated on October 25, 2018.
No two travelers are created equal, especially when they come from different ethnic groups.
Results released this week from a recent poll conducted by Washington DC-based Mandala Research suggest that African American travelers choose destinations based on availability of cultural sites tied to their history and diversity among the sites’ employees and visitors.
An October 2010 segment on the Oprah show revealed that African American travelers are barely visiting U.S. National Parks. Of the 285.5 million visitors to U.S. National Parks in 2009, the overwhelming majority of visitors were non-Hispanic whites. Mandala’s “African American Travelers” poll suggests a major reason for this could be a lack of diversity among park employees.
About 44 percent of travelers surveyed said they would visit more parks if they saw greater diversity among employees and visitors. Half of the respondents said they would be more inclined to visit attractions that offer more exhibits about black history and culture.
It’s even more important for African American travelers to feel like their children are getting a rich educational experience when they travel. About 46 percent of respondents said they prefer leisure trips that offer opportunities for their children to learn about African-American history and culture.
The “African American Traveler” study, conducted online in December 2010, polled 1,018 African American leisure travelers who took at least one trip within the United States in the past 12 months that was more than 50 miles away from home, or where the traveler spent at least one night away from home and had shared or sole responsibility for travel planning.
Leave a Comment