New analysis by MMGY Travel Intelligence unveils compelling insights into the journey motivations, planning behaviors and spending patterns of U.S. Black vacationers, highlighting notable shifts in preferences for 2025. Security and a welcoming environment proceed to dominate the precedence record for this rising demographic, with 79% citing these components as extremely influential of their journey selections.

Introduced in partnership with the Black Travel Alliance (BTA) and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), the great research shares findings from three knowledge sources: a nationwide survey of two,000 Black leisure vacationers, intelligence from DK Shifflet’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitor^SM and a web based survey of 200 members of the NCBMP.

Creating reminiscences, enjoyable and exploring new locations whereas feeling protected are paramount for at present’s Black vacationers. By providing actionable insights, these research empower journey companies to develop tailor-made methods and options that resonate with the wants of every viewers, driving each personalization and profitability. Simon Moriarty, Vice President of Analysis & Analytics for MMGY Journey Intelligence

Management for the BTA and NCBMP echoed the significance of this analysis.

The info proven in these stories speaks to the importance of Black vacationers. It is also a wake-up name to many locations which might be contemplating adapting their present engagement technique. BTA President Martinique Lewis

As soon as once more, the info is obvious: Black folks do journey, and our purchasing energy does affect communities. This could now not be a query however a reality and a talking level in all boardrooms, notably on this local weather of indecisiveness. NCBMP CEO Jason Dunn

A abstract of the report’s three sections and their key findings follows.

Portrait of Black Vacationers in America

Based mostly on a survey carried out by MMGY in fall 2024, the core report offers detailed insights and evaluation of the Black journey viewers within the U.S. Key findings embody:

• Excessive Intent to Journey: Over three-quarters (76%) of Black vacationers plan to take a home trip in 2025, with extra in a single day leisure journeys deliberate than day journeys throughout this era.
• Journey Planning Traits: Phrase-of-mouth suggestions from family and friends stay the first driver of journey planning selections, notably for Boomers. Notably, 87% of Black vacationers categorical a willingness to pay for premium journey upgrades, together with resort lodging and airline seat alternatives. Moreover, practically half (46%) are members of Black journey teams like Black Journey Motion and Black Ladies Travels, which foster a way of group and supply culturally tailor-made experiences.
• Journey Motivations: Millennials present a very sturdy inclination towards locations that remember Black tradition, looking for alternatives to interact in cultural experiences and help Black-owned companies. In distinction, Gen Zers and Boomers emphasize affordability as a key driver, reinforcing the will for memorable and high-value journey experiences.
• Spending: Journey expenditures are anticipated to extend by $1,300 per traveler in comparison with the previous 12 months, bringing the common complete spend to $2,992 in 2025. Larger-income vacationers allocate 59% of their price range to transportation and lodging, in comparison with 51% amongst lower-income vacationers.
• Extra insights from the research embody behaviors and preferences particular to the segments of worldwide journey, enterprise journeys and extra.

Black Leisure Phase Profile

This part of the report profiles the distinctive and various habits of Black vacationers by comparisons to the general U.S. leisure journey market, analyzing knowledge from DK Shifflet’s 2023 TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitor^SM. Based mostly on a pattern measurement of 6,523 Black leisure vacationers and a complete U.S. leisure journey pattern measurement of 54,428, the findings embody:

• Black leisure vacationers are considerably totally different from the common U.S. leisure traveler – they are usually youthful, extra prone to be employed, much less prone to be retired, have a decrease median earnings and usually tend to have youngsters within the family.
• Journeys for the U.S. Black leisure journey market totaled 184.12 million, accounting for 11% of the U.S. leisure market. As a phase, this viewers spent $145 billion on their travels in 2023, with transportation and meals and beverage accounting for the biggest shares of spending.
• A majority of U.S. Black leisure vacationers (79%) took their journeys by automobile, touring a median of 247 miles a technique.
• Different helpful insights from this part embody locations visited, journey social gathering composition, lodging, actions and extra.

Black Assembly Planner Phase Profile

For the conferences part of the research, MMGY and NCBMP engaged 200 members of the skilled commerce group in a January 2025 survey. Key findings embody:

• The Black assembly skilled plans a median of 5.5 conferences per 12 months, down from 7.5 in 2020. This means that many conferences are being consolidated or held just about.
• Typical conferences contain 501–2,000 peak room nights. Common annual conferences spend exceeded $2 million
  for respondents in 2024, with 7% reporting expenditures over $5 million.
• Considerably extra conferences with 100 or fewer room nights have been deliberate in 2024 (19%) when in comparison with 2020 (12%), indicating that smaller, extra private conferences have grow to be more and more standard over the previous 5 years.
• Different findings point out the varieties of conferences deliberate, off-site actions, locations of selection, key challenges going through their career and the demographics of the planners themselves.

To make sure the report appropriately documented the true sentiment of the Black traveler, survey questions have been developed with oversight and enter from a steering committee of various business consultants and thru partnerships with the BTA and NCBMP.

This research is now accessible for buy or as a part of an all-access subscription to MMGY’s Intel Library. All proceeds from report gross sales will profit the BTA and NCBMP to help their respective missions on behalf of this traveler viewers. To be taught extra, go to store.mmgyintel.com.

About MMGY Journey Intelligence

MMGY Journey Intelligence is MMGY’s knowledge and insights division, providing proprietary knowledge and analysis together with Portrait of American Vacationers^® in addition to DK Shifflet’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitor^SM, which makes use of the biggest steady shopper journey database within the business. Journey Intelligence’s companies are designed to energy journey business decision-makers by shopper insights, journey efficiency knowledge, and viewers modeling and segmentation. To be taught extra in regards to the in depth assortment of analysis, analytics capabilities and technique companies, go to mmgyintel.com or electronic mail us at [email protected].

About Black Journey Alliance

Black Journey Alliance is knowledgeable non-profit group [501(c)(3)], created in 2020 to encourage, educate, equip and excel Black journey professionals in schooling, media, and company positions. Our three pillars of the group are alliance, amplification, and accountability. As journey authors, bloggers, broadcasters, journalists, photographers, podcasters, social media influencers, and vloggers, we unify to amplify. We additionally intention to supply coaching and enterprise help to our members, in addition to maintain locations and journey manufacturers accountable on the difficulty of range in journey advertising and marketing and storytelling.

With skilled assets and an unlimited community, Black Journey Alliance is positioned because the group that’s trusted by the business to straight join manufacturers with Black journey media, conduct and report analysis that helps insights and evaluation on the Black traveler and the state of the business in relation to Black journey professionals. In addition to present information and coaching to the business to assist manufacturers join with Black vacationers on-line and thru conventional advertising and marketing.

About Nationwide Coalition of Black Assembly Professionals

The Nationwide Coalition of Black Assembly Professionals (NCBMP), based in 1983, is a non-profit group devoted primarily to the coaching wants of Black assembly professionals and all people who help fairness. NCBMP is dedicated to offering skilled improvement, management coaching and enhancing the conferences, conferences and conventions managed by our members.

About MMGY World

MMGY World is the world’s main built-in advertising and marketing agency specializing within the journey, hospitality and way of life industries. With working manufacturers internationally, the award-winning group maintains a worldwide communications apply in all advertising and marketing channels, serving most of the world’s premier journey and tourism manufacturers. As an organization devoted to the journey business, MMGY World strives to create a related, inclusive and peaceable world by selling journey as a cultural bridge of understanding. For extra data, go to mmgyglobal.com.

Derek Klaus
VP, Public Relations
+1 816.608.2816
MMGY Global