Airbnb Survey Finds Black Americans Setting Top Travel Trends in 2020

NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Recent surveys from Airbnb find spending on vacation travel will increase in 2020, and central to that growth are Black Americans. Fifty seven percent of Americans prefer to spend their money on experiences over things and 37 percent plan to increase their spending on experiences in 2020 (1). Recently, Cassidy Blackwell, Director of Global Editorial at Airbnb, teamed with YourUpdateTV to discuss.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/29UWQ0AudGk

Amongst all travelers, Black Americans are leading the way and setting unique travel trends for 2020. Forty two percent say they will spend more on travel in 2020 compared to 2019, and 46 percent will travel more for vacation or leisure in 2020 compared to 2019 (2).

Black Americans want to travel for cultural and heritage reasons.

Fifty percent of Black adults are likely to travel to locations or landmarks associated with their ethnic or cultural heritage this year (2). This is 16 percent higher than the general population (2). 2019 was The Year of Return in Ghana and the country was a top trending destination, with guest arrivals from the United States to Ghana nearly doubling from 2018 to 2019 (3).

Black travelers are looking for food experiences in 2020.

When on leisure or vacation this year, 38 percent of Black adults are most likely to spend their time enjoying food-related experiences and another 35 percent want to simply relax (2).

Black Americans want to be off the grid and relax when they're on vacation.

Disconnecting and digitally detoxing to recharge is a huge trend in 2020, with 35 percent of Black travelers planning to rest while on vacation by doing things like reading a book on a beach and sleeping in (2).

"We have reached the age of Black travel. Black Americans are setting travel trends in where to go and what to do when you get there. Airbnb Experiences are a great way to learn about culture and history whether you're at home or abroad," said Cassidy Blackwell, Director of Global Editorial at Airbnb. With over 40,000 Airbnb Experiences in 1,000 cities, there's something for every traveler on Airbnb this Black History Month and every other month of the year. Check out these Black-led Airbnb Experiences around the country:

Atlanta, GA
"Cake & Sip" With A Celebrity Chef

Charleston, SC
Let's Go Crabbing
Look inside the Gullah Culture

Chicago, IL
Bar trivia with a champ!
Windy City Street Photography Tour

Detroit, MI
Shop Detroit's top secret thrift shops

Memphis, TN
Southern Food and Culture Tour

Milwaukee, WI
Tea & Tarot in the Afternoon

Philadelphia, PA
Black Walking Tour of Philadelphia
Morals + Murals: Tales from Our Hood

New York City, NY
African American Walking Tour of NYC

Washington, DC
Art & Soul of Black Broadway
DC Graffiti History & Workshop WBL

For more information, visit Airbnb.com or the Airbnb News Room

1. This Airbnb commissioned Morning Consult to conduct a poll from September 25, 2019 – October 1, 2019 among a national sample of 2,206 American adults, The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. The margin of error is ±2% at a 95% confidence interval.
2. The Black travel trends survey was commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by Morning Consult as part of a national sample of 5,445 American adults who were surveyed from December 23, 2019 – January 2, 2020. This report includes data from 1,709 Black adults surveyed. These data are weighted by gender, age, race, education, and region. The margin of error is +/- 2% at the 95% confidence interval. The interviews were conducted online.
3. Based on Airbnb internal data measuring year-over-year growth of bookings for guest arrivals from the United States to Ghana in 2020.

About Cassidy Blackwell:
Cassidy Blackwell is the Director of Global Editorial on the Airbnb Communications Team. In her role she is responsible for leading the proactive strategic communications initiatives that help to advance both policy and business objectives. In her tenure as a marketing and communications professional, Cassidy has experience in working in both tech, CPG, retail and philanthropy, with specialized experience in empowering women, people of color and other underserved communities around the world. Cassidy has been named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, Brand Innovator's 40 Under 40 and a finalist for the Sage Group's Marketers Who Matter.

About Airbnb:
Airbnb is one of the world's largest marketplaces for unique, authentic places to stay and things to do, offering over 7 million accommodations and 40,000 handcrafted activities, all powered by local hosts. An economic empowerment engine, Airbnb has helped millions of hospitality entrepreneurs monetize their spaces and their passions while keeping the financial benefits of tourism in their own communities. With more than half a billion guest arrivals to date, and accessible in 62 languages across 220+ countries and regions, Airbnb promotes people-to-people connection, community and trust around the world.

About YourUpdateTV:
YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content, produced by award-winning video communications firm, D S Simon Media (http://www.dssimon.com). It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology.

SOURCE Airbnb