African American Travelers Follow Civil Rights Movement

A new poll suggests cultural heritage plays a key role when it comes to destination selection for African Americans travelers, with more than one-third “very likely” to take a trip where stories and sites related to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement are available.  The African American Traveler study, released by Washington, D.C.-based Mandala Research, outlines the travel habits and preferences of African American travelers, and also suggests a significantly higher percentage of these vacationers would visit more parks if they saw greater diversity among employees and visitors. “We know that some of the travel industry’s greatest untapped domestic opportunities involve diverse markets, particularly the African American market,” said Laura Mandala, Managing Director of Mandala Research.  “Understanding what motivates this lucrative segment will allow travel providers to refine their marketing and hiring practices, as well as better tailor their products and services.” The online study conducted in December queried 1,018 African American leisure travelers who had taken at least one trip within the United States in the past 12 months that was 50+ miles away from home one-way, or where the traveler spent at least one overnight and had shared or sole responsibility for travel planning.  The study was underwritten by the U.S. Cultural and Heritage Tourism Marketing Council and Shop America Alliance, in partnership with Louisiana Travel, Visit Baltimore, The Museum Store, Hester Group, the Center for Socioeconomic Research and Education at Texas A&M, and The Henry Ford. Mandala Research is a trusted firm that offers hotel, travel & tourism market research products and services – along with expert analysis – to Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Visit http://mandalaresearch.com.