Upon successfully hosting National Geographic’s Black Travel Across America, Martinique Lewis recently launched a new app to make intentional Black travel easier. The highly anticipated ABC Travel Greenbook App is the result of years of research and travel adventures.
Lewis, a diversity in travel consultant and President of the Black Travel Alliance, has turned her best-selling book, The ABC Travel Greenbook, into an app for travelers worldwide. From restaurants to Black history tours, the app helps find Black-owned businesses when search engines fall short.
Inspired by Victor Hugo Green’s Negro Motorist Greenbook, this digital resource is a global-reaching curation of all things Black travel. This app was created to celebrate Black culture and serve Black communities, while also strengthening local economies and circulating the Black dollar.
“The reception from all travelers has been crazy!” Lewis said. “I had a goal of 2000 downloads and 1000 subscribers, [and we’re] over that in less than 2 weeks. I remain grateful! I’ve asked for feedback and everyone loves it!”
This digital application is positioning itself as the premier resource connecting travelers to the African Diaspora globally. The launch of the app comes on the third anniversary of Black Out Tuesday when brands and people all over the world showed their solidarity in supporting the Black community and Black-owned businesses.
Inside The App: Top Features Of ABC Travel Greenbook
With the Black travel movement at an all-time high, Black travelers are injecting billions into the travel industry each year. The ABC Travel Greenbook app comes at a time when Black travelers are seeking new ways to travel more intentionally. Its growing number of listings helps travelers locate Black-owned businesses, communities and events on six out of seven continents while staying safe in the current climate.
Another positive feature of the app is the ability to recommend Black-owned businesses, creating a sense of community among travelers. This for-us-by-us feature makes it easy to share unforgettable Black-owned experiences while supporting the business by letting others in on these often overlooked, or tucked-away, businesses.
“I love the recommend a business feature! Since the release, users have been wearing it out. With over 20,000 listings worldwide there are plenty of Black travel businesses that we missed like Sabor Cubano in Florence, Italy. But because of users, it’s now included in the app! I also adore the homepage. It gives you Black itineraries to follow in some of your favorite destinations, tells you about upcoming Black events around the world, and recommends Black-owned businesses we’ve visited and want you to enjoy,” Lewis shared.
The ABC Travel Greenbook app also is changing the game when it comes to solo and group itineraries. Its My Trips feature allows you to build your own itinerary of Black-owned businesses in your future destination. You also can add other users to the trip and send the itinerary to those outside of the app.
Creating Community For Black Travelers
“Definitely support these businesses by leaving a review after you visited so people know it was awesome,” she said. “For non-Black travelers, I want them to use the app and help amplify Black-owned businesses to their networks.”
New users can take advantage of the app’s free trial available through June. Users who enjoy their experience can purchase a monthly, annual or lifetime membership after that.