In 2020, the world stopped and started watching. With international borders closed and cities under lockdown, our screens became portals into two parallel crises: a global pandemic and a long-overdue racial reckoning in the United States. The murder of George Floyd wasn’t just an American tragedy; it sparked a global uprising. And in the stillness of a paused world, people listened. They marched. They posted. They pledged.
The travel industry, too, stood at a crossroads. For once, travel wasn’t about luxury suites and bucket-list escapes; it became a lens into privilege, access, and exclusion. Travelers of color spoke up, calling out inequities and holding brands accountable. In response, many companies made bold commitments: promises of more representation, more accountability, and more seats at the table. It felt like the start of a new chapter. Companies posted black squares on social media in support of Black communities and as part of a larger movement that became known as #BlackOutTuesday.
At the time, we were two assistant professors of hospitality and tourism and codirectors of Tourism RESET (Race Ethnicity Social Equity in Tourism), an initiative dedicated to advancing social equity in travel and tourism. In partnership with Evita Robinson, founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe [a community and lifestyle brand for travelers of color], we created and disseminated the 2020 BIPOC Diversity in Travel Report: Trends + Insights in September of that year. The largest of its kind to date, this report included both qualitative in-depth interviews and a quantitative survey of more than 5,000 travelers to better understand the real experiences of BIPOC travelers, influencers, and community leaders from across the diaspora, giving shape to what BIPOC travelers really needed from the industry. The message was clear:
We are not a monolith. We want to be safe, valued, and respected.
But that moment of momentum didn’t last.
Shortly after Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, his administration issued a series of executive orders targeting diversity initiatives, calling them “radical,” “wasteful,” and discriminatory toward non-minorities. What followed was a sweeping rollback of DEI efforts across federal agencies, universities, law firms, and cultural institutions.
The promise of safety, value, and respect for marginalized travelers began to fade.
Many of the tourism brands that once pledged to “do better” have since gone silent. “Neutral” branding has returned—just as other sectors have chosen to double down on their DEI commitments. Meanwhile, Trump’s political reemergence has reignited debates over nationalism, immigration, and foreign policy—all of which influence how the world views the U.S. as a travel destination.
Travel has always been marketed as a gateway to new perspectives. But for too many people, the door is still closed. And the barriers aren’t just about race; they’re compounded by disability, queerness, gender expression, and class.
Fast forward to 2025, and the once-fiery energy pushing back against closed minds had noticeably cooled. A recent Pew Research Center report found that public support for companies taking stances on social issues has plummeted, from 52 percent five years ago to just 27 percent today. And nearly half of U.S. adults say they feel emotionally exhausted when thinking about race relations, reflecting widespread fatigue and disillusionment with the lack of progress.
This inspired us to revisit the data, not to suggest the issues had been solved, but to understand how the conversation had shifted and where attention had drifted. So, in February 2025, we unveiled Traveling in Color: The 2025 Traveler Identity Consensus—a follow-up to the 2020 landmark study distributed on similar platforms and networks. However, this time, just 1,675 travelers responded, less than a third of the original turnout within the same timeframe, underscoring how enthusiasm had waned, not from resolution, but from redirection.
Alongside the survey, we spoke with 18 BIPOC travel influencers who shared their stories and experiences of today’s tourism landscape. Their voices brought the data to life, adding depth, nuance, and a human dimension that numbers alone can’t capture. Among them was Emily Edenshaw, an Alaska Native leader and PhD candidate in Indigenous Studies, who spoke to both the possibilities and the challenges she sees in the industry. She shared:
“Tourism is a sleeping giant. There is enormous potential to create more Indigenous experiences—to create authentic experiences through a BIPOC lens. And I would hope that the America I love would want more companies to support that. But the truth is, many have benefited from our erasure.”
Emily’s words underscore a larger truth: The call for more inclusive, authentic tourism exists alongside a climate of growing resistance and fatigue. What we heard in our interviews mirrors what national data now shows—an America where enthusiasm for equity has waned, and the cost of inaction is becoming increasingly visible.
While global tourism is booming, the United States is facing a sharp decline. Tens of millions of international visitors are choosing other destinations, which could cost the U.S. economy as much as $12.5 billion in tourism revenue, according to research by the World Travel & Tourism Association, and have a knock-on effect of threatening jobs in the industry. At the same time, fewer Americans are traveling abroad, driven by growing concerns about being detained or harassed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon re-entry, particularly for perceived political views shared online.
These fears are heightened for BIPOC and other marginalized travelers, who already face disproportionate scrutiny at the border.
Our Traveling in Color report tells a similar story.
Of our survey respondents, 60 percent shared that the current political climate has a considerable or significant impact on their travel decisions and experiences. In other words, the decision to travel is never made in a vacuum; it reflects broader systems of power and exclusion that determine access, belonging, and safety.
The call for more inclusive, authentic tourism exists alongside a climate of growing resistance and fatigue.
Travel has always been marketed as a gateway to new perspectives. But for too many people, the door is still closed. And the barriers aren’t just about race; they’re compounded by disability, queerness, gender expression, and class. A one-time DEI campaign can’t undo decades of exclusion.
When travelers feel seen, they’re more likely to spend, share, and return. In fact, 82.5 percent of survey respondents are willing to spend an extra $215 more/week to plan a trip if a destination or brand supports diversity, equity, and inclusion and highlights cultural attractions that reflect its history and identity.
This is a wake-up call. Again.
Travel can be joyful, healing, and liberating, but only if everyone gets to take the journey. It’s a long road, paved by consistent listening, investment, and most importantly, accountability.
So the question isn’t “What happened to all the momentum?”
It’s “Who’s still moving forward anyway?”
For travelers, creators, brands, and destinations still committed to equity, the invitation isn’t just open, it’s urgent. Thanks to partners like Tripadvisor and the Culturist Group, which funded and shared the survey across their networks—and to Intrepid Travel, which sponsored two complimentary trips as an incentive [to participate], our 2025 Traveling in Color study offers more than insights; it’s a road map for reimagining travel as a space where inclusion isn’t an afterthought, but the foundation.
As we analyzed the data, a single insight stood out above the rest: Travel decisions are never neutral; they are shaped by a traveler’s sense of safety, opportunities for cultural connection, and the emotional resonance a destination evokes. Representation plays a pivotal role in these choices, directly influencing where people spend their money and whether they return. When travelers feel seen and valued, they are more likely to invest in a destination. But exclusion carries a measurable cost: BIPOC travelers are 55 percent less likely to feel represented, which means many actively bypass destinations that fail to reflect or respect them.
Because the future of travel won’t be neutral.
It will be boldly equitable—or dangerously exclusive.
The choice is ours.
For more information on the study, please visit https://nomadnesstraveltribe.com/data/
To purchase the study directly, please visit https://code2025.gumroad.com/l/hsnget
