In 2020, the world stopped and began to watch. With international borders closed and cities closed, our screens have become a portal to two parallel crises: the global pandemic in the United States and the long-term racial calculations. The murder of George Floyd was more than just an American tragedy. It sparked a global uprising. And in the temporary tranquility of the world, people listened. They marched. They posted. They swore.
The travel industry was at a crossroads too. In the past, travel was not about luxury suites or bucket list escapes. It became a lens, privilege, access, exclusion. Travelers of colour spoke up, calling inequality and holding the brand accountable. In response, many companies have made bold commitments: more expression, more accountability, and more seating at the table. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter. The company has posted Black Square on social media to support the Black community and as part of a larger movement that has come to be known as #BlackOutTuesday.
At the time we were two assistant professors of hospitality and tourism and coder of Tourism Reset (Racial Social Equity in Tourism), an initiative dedicated to promoting social equity in travel and tourism. We created and popularized in partnership with the founder of Evita Robinson, the founder of the Nomadness Travel Tribe. Bipok Diversity in 2020 Travel Report: Trends + Insights September of that year. This biggest report of its kind includes both qualitative in-depth interviews and quantitative surveys of over 5,000 travelers to better understand the real-world experiences of BIPOC travelers, influencers and diaspora community leaders, providing what BIPOC travelers really needed from the industry. The message was clear:
We are not monoliths. We want to be safe, appreciated and respected.
However, that momentum moment didn’t last long.
Shortly after Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, his administration issued a series of executive orders targeting diversity initiatives, calling them “radical” and “vast” and announced discrimination against non-exile. It was then a drastic rollback of DEI’s efforts across federal government agencies, universities, law firms and cultural institutions.
The promise of safety, value and respect for marginalized travelers has begun to fade.
Many of the tourist brands that once vowed to “do” have since become silent. “Neutral” branding is back. Just as other sectors have chosen to double the DEI commitment. Meanwhile, Trump’s political reemergence rekindled debates over nationalism, immigration and foreign policy. All of this has an impact on the world’s view of the United States as a destination.
Fast forward to 2025 and the once intense energy that was pushed back into a closed mind has been significantly cooled. A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that a plunge in general support for companies that have taken a stance on social issues has plummeted from 52% five years ago to 27% today. And almost half of our adults say they feel emotionally exhausted when thinking about race relations, reflecting their disillusionment with widespread fatigue and lack of progress.
This led me to revisit the data to understand how the conversation changed and where attention began, rather than suggesting that the problem was resolved. Therefore, it was announced in February 2025. Travel in Color: Traveler Identity Consensus for 2025– Follow-up of a groundbreaking 2020 survey distributed on similar platforms and networks. However, this time only 1,675 travelers responded, less than a third of the original voter turnout within the same time frame.
Alongside the research, we spoke with 18 Bipoc Travel Influencers who shared stories and experiences of today’s tourist scenery. Their voices have made data possible, adding depth, nuance, and human dimensions that cannot be captured by numbers alone. Among them was Emily Edenshaw, a native Alaska leader and doctoral candidate in Native American studies. She shared:
“Tourism is a sleeping giant. There is great potential to create a more indigenous experience to create an authentic experience through bipock lenses, and I hope that America, which I love, supports it.
Emily’s words highlight a greater truth. A more inclusive and authentic tourism appeal exists with a climate of increasing resistance and fatigue. What we hear in the interview reflects what current data shows. This is America, where enthusiasm for fairness has diminished and the costs of inaction are becoming increasingly noticeable.
World tourism is booming, but the US is declining sharply. According to a survey by the World Travel & Tourism Association, tens of millions of international visitors have chosen other destinations, with tourism revenues of as many as $12.5 billion, with knock-on effects on threatening employment in the industry. At the same time, few Americans travel abroad, driven by growing concerns that they are being detained or harassed by US customs and border security upon re-entry, particularly due to perceived political views shared online.
These fears increase for BIPOC and other marginalized travelers.
Ours Travel in colour The report tells a similar story.
Of the survey respondents, 60% share that the current political situation has a major or significant impact on travel decisions and experiences. In other words, travel decisions are never made in a vacuum. This reflects a wider range of power and exclusion systems that determine access, belonging and safety.
Travel has always been sold as a gateway to new perspectives. But for too many, the door is still closed. And race isn’t the only barrier. They are exacerbated by disabilities, oddity, gender expressions, and class. A one-off DEI campaign cannot undo decades of exclusion.
When travelers feel they are seen, they are more likely to spend, share and return. In fact, 82.5% of survey respondents are willing to spend an additional $215 or more to plan a trip if their destination or brand supports diversity, equity and inclusion. It emphasizes its cultural appeal, which reflects its history and identity.
This is a wake-up call. Also.
Traveling can be fun, soothing and liberating, but everyone can travel. It’s a long road paved with consistent listening, investment and most importantly accountability.
The question is not “What happened to all momentum?”
the “Who’s still moving forward anyway?”
For travelers, creators, brands and destinations, they are still committed to fairness, so invitations are not just open, they are urgent. Thank you to partners like Tripadvisor and Culturist Group. This funded and shared research across the network. And thank you for the brave trips that sponsored two free trips as an incentive (participation) in 2025. Travel in colour Research offers more than insight. This is a roadmap for rethinking travel as a space where inclusion is not an afterthought, but a foundation.
The remaining insights stood out when we analyzed the data. Travel decisions are by no means neutral. They are shaped by travellers’ sense of safety, opportunities for cultural connections, and the emotional resonances that destinations evoke. Expression plays a pivotal role in these choices and directly influences where people spend their money and whether they will return. When travelers feel they are seen and valued, they are more likely to invest in their destinations. However, exclusions come with measurable costs. BIPOC travelers are 55% less likely to feel expressed.
Because the future of travel is not neutral.
It is boldly fair and dangerously exclusive.
The choice is ours.
For more information about the survey, please visit https://nomadnesstraveltribe.com/data/.
To purchase the survey directly, go to https://code2025.gumroad.com/l/hsnget
