Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Recently, a one-stop-shop website, focusing on matching Black professionals with tourism opportunities in business went live.
The Black Tourism Talent Directory features profiles of Black businesses, professionals and students and gives them confidence in regard to destination marketing organizations, travel brands, associations and media to connect with them for employment opportunities.
This website is the brainchild of Stephanie Jones. She is the owner of Cultural Heritage Alliance Tours and also the founder of the National Blacks in Travel and Tourism Collaborative. Stephanie expects that the website will help in leveling the playing field for Black professionals in tourism.
“We don’t want them to continue to say we can’t find black talent,” she said in a recent interview.
In April, 2021, the National Blacks in Travel and Tourism Collaborative has planned to get the website even bigger and include training for Black professionals along with small business to make sure they are “tourism ready.” Jones expects that Black business owners who have never considered their businesses as part of tourism will profitable due to the training program during what for most people is a quiet period due to virus effect.
“There’s still way too many of our Black businesses that are not on the radar,” she said. “This is our window of opportunity to get prepared to resume and rebuild. We can’t afford for this industry to remain the same or to revert back.”
For all Black professionals, businesses and students, this website is completely free to use. Companies can sign up for an annual membership for $499.
Stephanie Jones won second place in the 2020 Miami Herald Startup Pitch Competition FIU Track for Culture onShore, a soon to debut online marketplace for cultural heritage tours and activities headed by local tour guides.
Tags: Black professionals
