Crowning The Best In Travel: Your 2025 Travel Noire Award Winners

From the sun-soaked beaches of Zanzibar to the cultural corridors of Detroit, the 2025 Travel Noire Awards celebrate the destinations, brands, and people redefining how we experience the world. This year’s winners highlight innovation, authenticity, and representation. They spotlight the best in travel through the lens of the global Black experience. Each winner embodies a spirit of joy, creativity, and resilience that keeps travelers curious and connected wherever they go.

This annual recognition honors the people and places that shape culture every time they open a door, book a flight, or start a movement. World-class hospitality, homegrown flavor, and bold innovation define this year’s winners, each one proving that excellence in travel has many faces. Here are your 2025 winners, chosen by readers and editors who know that travel is about where you go and also how it makes you feel.

Destinations

Best International Vacation

The world feels a little smaller, and a lot more inspiring, thanks to this year’s international standout, Zanzibar City, Tanzania. Known for its spice markets, turquoise waters, and layered history, Zanzibar continues to represent the beauty of heritage-driven travel. Its mix of African, Arab, and European influences tells centuries-old stories, making it more than just an island escape.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best International Vacation

Best Stateside Vacation

Chicago, Illinois, continues to define urban exploration at its best. With its world-class architecture, deep-rooted Black cultural scene, and thriving food neighborhoods, the city proves that homegrown travel can be just as inspiring as any faraway escape.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Stateside Vacation

Creatives

Top Travel Influencer (Voters’ Choice Award)

Kemoy Martin (@kemoy_martin) wins this year’s Voters’ Choice Award for Top Travel Influencer, earning praise for his cinematic visuals, authentic storytelling, and approachable style of global exploration. His content celebrates Black travel excellence while inspiring audiences to see the world with a fresh perspective.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Top Travel Influencer

Experience

Best Black-Owned Restaurant

There’s flavor, and then there’s feeling, and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi delivers both. Located in New York City’s Lincoln Center, Tatiana celebrates Afro-Caribbean and American heritage through dishes that tell a story. It’s fine dining with roots, serving culture on every plate while pushing boundaries for Black chefs in the culinary world.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Black-Owned Restaurant

Best Airport Lounge

For travelers who crave comfort in transit, Emirates First Class Lounge – Dubai International Airport sets the standard. The space combines refined architecture, private dining, and personalized service to turn even a layover into a moment of calm and luxury.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Airport Lounge

Best Black-Owned Luxury Resort/Hotel

At Salamander Middleburg in Virginia, luxury feels grounded in purpose. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, the resort merges countryside serenity with five-star amenities and community-minded hospitality. The hotel offers a blueprint for what inclusive luxury can look like.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Black-Owned Luxury Resort/Hotel

Brands

Best Black-Owned Travel Brand

Tote & Carry redefines travel gear with bold design and practical innovation. Their statement luggage and accessories bring style and utility together, proving that travel essentials can make just as strong an impression as the destination itself.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Black-Owned Travel Brand

Best Black-Owned Tour Company

Luxury, culture, and community come together beautifully in this year’s winner, Up In The Air Life. Known for its curated experiences across destinations such as Cape Town, Cartagena, and beyond, the company has built a global following by transforming travel into meaningful connections.

Meet The 2025 Nominees: Best Black-Owned Tour Company

That’s your complete look at the 2025 Travel Noire Award winners, each one a testament to innovation, representation, and the joy of exploration. Visit the Travel Noire Awards hub for a one-stop glance at this year’s best in travel.

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