 'Wow, I can't believe you're going alone.' A very common response when people find out you're planning on travelling solo. For years, going abroad alone was seen as one of the scariest leaps a person could take, especially for Black women, who would often add it to our bucket list as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that felt more like a pipedream. In recent years, though, solo travel has become more popular and gained significant traction due to the rise of online travel influencers. The term itself has garnered more than 400 million views on TikTok alone. To ensure no one misses out, the Black Travel movement has emerged over the last decade for those who don't have the same access and safety requirements as their non-Black counterparts. Taking the shape of Facebook groups, Instagram pages, podcasts and blogs, the social community for Black adventurers provides a space for travellers to share their experiences and inspire others to explore the world. Black travellers have to be more cautious when going abroad and must make considerations for the levels of discrimination at any given destination. For Black women in particular, travelling unaccompanied to countries where we may be hypervisible and hypersexualised puts us at further risk of harm. These concerns weighed heavily on me before my first international solo trip. At 24, I travelled alone to Asia. I convinced myself it was a 'journey of self-discovery,' when in reality, I grew tired of travelling with others. More often than not, planned holidays with friends and family fell through. I used to feel so dependent on others that I would cancel my travel plans if someone dropped out. I eventually realised that if I ever wanted to do the things I've always wanted to do, I might have to do them alone. Travelling alone made me feel liberated. I was able to make my own decisions, plan my own itinerary, and sleep in if I wanted to. I tried different){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
‘Wow, I can’t believe you’re going alone.’
A very common response when people find out you’re planning on travelling solo. For years, going abroad alone was seen as one of the scariest leaps a person could take, especially for Black women, who would often add it to our bucket list as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that felt more like a pipedream.
In recent years, though, solo travel has become more popular and gained significant traction due to the rise of online travel influencers. The term itself has garnered more than 400 million views on TikTok alone.
To ensure no one misses out, the Black Travel movement has emerged over the last decade for those who don’t have the same access and safety requirements as their non-Black counterparts.