Expedia® is teaming up with Green Book Global, the first and only Black traveler review website mobile app and social media platform, to launch the inaugural Green Book Global Black Travel Review Month (BTRM) initiative. Green Book Global is dedicated to empowering Black travelers through its community-generated “Traveling While Black” reviews, with the aim of increasing representation and equity in travel.
Green Book Global was founded in 2018 to inspire and equip Black travelers to explore the world with peace of mind. Travelers rate locations based on their experience of “Traveling While Black” to help other community members feel safe. Green Book Global also works with destinations to help them become more inclusive. The company is part of Expedia Group’s Open World™ Accelerator program that is designed to advance innovation in the travel industry by helping startups and small and medium businesses (SMBs) fast-track their growth and innovate on Expedia Group’s purpose-built technology platform.
“Diversity and inclusion are essential in the travel industry. The ‘Traveling While Black’ section on the platform gives Black travelers the insight they need to make an informed decision about where they will travel and how they will be treated once they arrive,” said Lawrence Phillips, CEO and founder of Green Book Global.
To kick off BTRM, Expedia and Green Book Global curated a list of top-rated and founder-recommended destinations. “The Traveling While Black” score comprises of the candid experiences of Black travelers and the level of warmth and hospitality they received from locals.
Top-Rated
- Dakar, Senegal | Traveling While Black score: 4.9/5
- Panama City, Panama | Traveling While Black score: 4.9/5
- New Orleans, Louisiana| Traveling While Black score: 4.9/5
- London, England | Traveling While Black score: 4.6/5
- Bahamas | Traveling While Black score: 4.5/5
Founder-Recommended
- Accra, Ghana
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Portimão, Portugal
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
To learn more about BTRM and to join the community, please visit https://greenbookglobal.com/black-travel-review-month.
About Expedia
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About Green Book Global
Green Book Global is the first travel review website, app, and social media platform that is dedicated to helping Black travelers plan trips with confidence and less anxiety. It offers user-generated insights from the Black perspective across nine dimensions, including what it’s like Traveling While Black. Travelers can also earn cashback by booking with some of the most popular travel brands (Expedia, Vrbo, etc.) as well as earn up to $10 for sharing destination reviews. Recently completing Expedia Group’s Open World Accelerator Program, Green Book Global aims to become the go-to online booking and travel review platform for Black travelers worldwide.
Notes to Editors:
Top Rated
- Dakar, Senegal | Traveling While Black score: 4.92/5
Senegal is a community pleaser overall owing to the warmth of its people, amazing food, proximity to beaches and animal reserves, and the country’s rich history. A trip to Senegal isn’t complete without a trip to Goree Island, which helps travelers understand the history of colonization in Senegal. Travelers also recommend the African Renaissance Monument, which is an amazing sculpture that gives a great view of the city and is taller than the Statue of Liberty.
- Panama City, Panama | Traveling While Black score: 4.92/5
Reviews rave about the friendliness of the locals, the charm of the old town “Casco Viejo,” easy access to nearby islands, and the perfect mix of culture, history, and adventure. It definitely gives Miami vibes.
- New Orleans, Louisiana | Traveling While Black score: 4.9/5
Beloved for its unbeatable food, from the Po Boys to the charbroiled oysters, New Orleans is easily a traveler’s favorite. Their blending of cultures not only shows up in the Creole food but also in the music, which is extremely unique to New Orleans and brings an energy to the city that is unlike any other.
- London, England | Traveling While Black score: 4.6/5
Travelers feel right at home in London, which they say is a cultural melting pot. There is something for everyone in London, from nightlife to history to cultural festivals. If fish and chips aren’t your thing, travelers can’t get enough of the Indian food, which is some of the best they’ve ever had.
- Bahamas | Traveling While Black score: 4.5/5
The Bahamas is a favorite beach destination for Black travelers for several reasons, including the proximity to the East Coast, the beautiful white sand beaches, and local specialty, conch fritters. While many travelers visit Nassau, they also love the proximity of many other smaller islands like Great Stirrup Cay, Eleuthera, and Harbor Island.
Founder Recommended
- Accra, Ghana
Accra is a founder’s favorite place because of its rich history and the welcoming nature of the people. There is great food, music, and local shopping. The Cape Coast Castle is one of the largest enslavement ports in Africa and is worth the visit. He went to Accra as part of the Year or Return in 2019, where tens of thousands of the African diaspora traveled to Ghana and many other West African countries in the month of December.
- Johannesburg, South Africa
The city of Johannesburg is steeped in Black history, and the people are extremely warm, making it a founder favorite. The music scene in South Africa is also quite lively, with lots of festivals. I spent a lot of time in Soweto and learned that Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world that has two Nobel Peace Prize winners living on it, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
- Portimão, Portugal
With its proximity to Lisbon, annual Afrobeat music festival, Afro Nation, beautiful rocky coast, and fantastic local wine (especially the vinho verde), it’s a no-brainer as to why Portimão is a founder favorite. He’s already planning a trip back for next summer!
- Marrakech, Morocco
Morocco is one of the founder’s favorites because of the diversity of experiences he had, from dessert to the beach to the culture-filled city of Marrakech. The founder recommends the 5-star hotel La Mamouni for their day spa and hammam experience as well as the extensive lunch buffet- this was the best chicken tagine he had in Morocco!
- Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
Oak Bluffs was one of the first resort towns that Black travelers started vacationing in and was part of the underground railroad. It was regarded as safe and hospitable towards Black travelers and, because of that reason, is still an extremely popular destination for Black vacationers in the summer months. It is a perfect destination for seafood lovers and is a founder favorite. Lobster rolls, anyone?
SOURCE: Expedia
