Introduction to the Special Issue: African Americans and Tourism

The relationship between African Americans and tourism is a complex and conflicted one given the highly discriminatory history of hospitality in the USA and the inequalities that still characterize the industry. Yet, African American tourists are an increasingly important and profitable segment of the travel market and there are a growing number of destinations that are decidedly antiracist in their message. Social justice is attracting more attention from tourism scholars than in the past, but the African American experience remains underanalyzed, thus prompting the organization of this Special Issue.