Travel has changed my life.
And just when I think it cant get any better, it does.
The second time Zim Flores ever traveled internationally, it was an across-the-world move toIndia.
Chebem Ugochukwu
But what she discovered when she arrived was jarring: Indias fixation with fair skin.
Living and working in India afforded me the luxury of frequent and inexpensive travel.
And in 2013,Travel Noirewas born.
Jason Flores
According to a 2018 study byMandala Research, African Americans spend nearly $63 billion on travel annually.
Flores is still known and celebrated as a powerful voice and presence in the travel space.
The world is informed by Black culture in clothes, in music, in art.
Jason Flores
I am proud, but I am also aware.
Im aware of my privilege as an African.
And then as an African born in America.
And as a Black person.
These are all very different and carry with [them] different nuances.
So, I carry these many identities with me as I travel around the world.
And with that often comes challenges.
There are many who will mistake Black skin for dirt.
There are people who have put their hands in my hair, said Flores.
Its getting the awkward stares when I fly in business class.
Its being denied a taxi because of the color of my skin.
Then there are experiences of my friends who have been called immigrants, prostitutes, thugs, and thieves.
You name it, we know it.
But her relationship with travel remains strong.
I love the way [travel] challenges me to be a better person.
For the way that it inspires me to dream.
For the way my mind creates new worlds as a result of it.
Travel has changed my life.
And just when I think it cant get any better, it does, she said.
What Cle and his team are doing for travel and travel content is nothing short of remarkable.
Some of the most breathtaking imagery I’ve ever seen.
Dipaways
Dipaways specializes in coordinating private and group getaways.
This brand was started by a former Travel Noire experience designer, Chadricks.
He is a master at experience design so much so thatDipawayshas grown exponentially in a matter of months.
He has a knack for bringing good people together.
If you find yourself on this trip, you won’t regret it.
Siviwe Tours
Siviweis an inbound operator that Ive worked with for many years.
[They] specialize in guided experiences through Langa, Cape Towns oldest township."
“Much of what I know aboutSouth Africais because of him.
