2025 Travel Noire Awards Nominees: Best Black-Owned Tour Company
The travel industry has seen growth in Black-owned tour companies that cater to the needs and experiences of Black travelers. These companies create safe spaces for exploration while fostering a sense of community among curious global citizens. Additionally, they encourage cultural connections and authentic experiences that many traditional travel services overlook.
The 2025 Travel Noire Awards celebrate excellence in this space and across the industry. These awards recognize tour operators who have demonstrated outstanding service, innovative itineraries, and a commitment to empowering the Black travel movement. This year’s nominees for Best Black-Owned Tour Company represent the pinnacle of travel experiences curated by and for the Black community.
Black Girls Travel Too
Group Trips (@blackgirlstraveltoo)Founded with the mission of empowering millennial Black women through travel, Black Girls Travel Too (BGTT) has grown into an international travel club with a thriving community of “travel sisters.” BGTT specializes in creating immersive cultural experiences. Their intimate group sizes allow authentic local connections and personalized attention. Their signature approach includes support before, during, and after travel. They also provide meticulously planned itineraries that combine popular attractions with off-the-beaten-path experiences.
The brand’s South Africa Experience Tour exemplifies this approach. These trips offer travelers a deep dive into Johannesburg and Cape Town with locally advised itineraries that ensure cultural immersion. BGTT also supports sisterhood and community-building. The tour company creates spaces where Black women feel seen, celebrated, and supported throughout their travel journeys.
Dipaways
Founded by Dricks Everette, Dipaways has established itself as a notable luxury group travel company catering to the Black travel community. A longtime entrepreneur, Everette created Dipaways after years of solo travel around the world. During his travels, Everette often found himself in places with little Black representation. This experience inspired him to build a travel company focused on creating community and connection for Black travelers.
Dipaways offers meticulously designed luxury group experiences to destinations such as Japan, the Seychelles, Tuscany, and Thailand. Each “dip,” as their trips are called, includes 5-star accommodations and curated meals. Exclusive cultural activities, private transportation, and professional photography services are also available. Through their trips, travelers have helped revitalize a youth center in Havana and supported dance programs for children in Cape Town. They have also provided access to technology for children in rural Bali.
Luxe Tribes
(@luxetribes)Founded by Chidi Ashley, Luxe Tribes has established itself as a respected player in the luxury travel market for Black travelers. What began as a group trip company has evolved into a global brand. The tour company boasts a team of dedicated professionals operating across various destinations. Luxe Tribes specializes in curating both group travel meet-ups and private experiences. Each itinerary emphasizes building lasting friendships while supporting local communities in the destinations they visit.
Under Ashley’s leadership, Luxe Tribes has assembled a diverse international team of travel professionals, including alumni from past trips and specialized in-house agents with extensive expertise. This team works to ensure that each travel experience is well-planned and executed with attention to detail. As a result, Luxe Tribe creates meaningful connections for travelers while delivering luxury service.
Nomadness Travel Tribe
Founded by Evita Robinson, Nomadness Travel Tribe has grown from an online community into a travel collective with thousands of members worldwide. When Robinson started Nomadness in 2011, she created one of the first spaces dedicated to increasing the representation of Black and brown travelers exploring the globe.
The tour company has evolved into a network with over 30,000 members, whose journeys collectively generate an estimated $50 million annually for the travel industry. Nomadness distinguishes itself through its community-first approach, where travel is just one aspect of a broader lifestyle centered on global citizenship and cultural exchange.
Up In The Air Life
Founded by Claire Soares, a five-time top travel specialist recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, Up In The Air Life has established itself as a boutique travel agency dedicated to empowering Black travelers to “let their guard down and travel with confidence amongst other like-minded Black people.” The company has built a reputation for crafting experiences in breathtaking destinations worldwide, including locations like Brazil, Tanzania, and Iceland.
Up In The Air Life’s Kenya and Uganda safari trips exemplify their commitment to luxury travel experiences. These itineraries feature accommodations like the Olonana luxury lodge with its wrap-around balconies and elegant amenities situated in the heart of safari territory. Soares has helped hundreds of Black travelers experience premium adventures while creating an environment where they can fully relax and connect with others who share similar perspectives and travel values.
Every winner tells part of the Travel Noire Awards story. Stay tuned for the official announcement of the Best Black-owned Tour Company winner on Wednesday, October 8. See how it all comes together at the Travel Noire Awards hub.
The post 2025 Travel Noire Awards Nominees: Best Black-Owned Tour Company appeared first on Travel Noire.
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