Building Community for Underrepresented Groups One Trip at A Time

How did the idea of doing a community trip for Black travelers come to be?

The idea came from my many years of traveling with EF Ultimate Break. My first big international trip with the company was to Thailand in December 2017. I was the only Black person on the trip, and on our first full day in Thailand, we visited the Golden Temple in Bangkok. I had so many people coming up to me to take my photo, try to touch my skin and hair, and it was overwhelming. I had no one to turn to because it wasn't happening to anyone else in the group.

I had a few more trips where I was still the only Black person, but I knew Black people and other People of Color wanted to travel with EF. The problem was that they didn’t see people who looked like them on the social media page. So, I started documenting my travels online and the number one question I received was, "How was it traveling with EF as a Black person?" That got my wheels turning—what if there was a trip specifically for us, where no one had to be the only one? And from there, the idea of a group trip was born.

Who signed up? Were they friends of yours? Part of an online community?

It was a mixture of both. When I first introduced the idea of a group trip for Black travelers and People of Color, I pitched it online. People loved the idea, and it started to catch on—first from Instagram, then from YouTube, and even some of my local friends who had never traveled before but wanted this to be their first trip.

For our Croatia trip, we had 13 people join. I knew a handful personally, but the rest were online friends. For our upcoming trip to Portugal, we have a few people returning from Croatia, plus many who missed out last time and are excited to join now.

Why did organizing this trip feel important to you personally?

It felt important because I wanted to bring a sense of community to a group that is so misrepresented and underrepresented in mainstream travel spaces.

It creates a cycle—Black travelers want to travel, but when they look at social media and don’t see themselves represented, they assume it’s not for them. Because of that, fewer of us book trips, which leads to even less representation. I wanted to organize a group trip to show that we do travel, and that you don’t have to wait for your local friends to be ready—you can meet new ones along the way.

And EF makes it SO easy - people are usually very surprised when they find out it's as easy as paying and showing up to the airport, we just have to make the first step and GO.

Why do you think it’s important to create travel spaces specifically for People of Color?

Our experiences while traveling are often different. Depending on the destination, we might be the first Black people someone has ever seen in person.

I’ve been called “Michelle Obama” or “Beyoncé” just because those are the only Black female names people know from media. Our needs are different too—how we style our hair, for example, is something we have to think about in advance. I love the water, but my natural hair doesn’t do well with salt water, and washing it is an all-day process. So instead, I wear braids while on vacation like a lot of other Black women. It's so nice to be with people that just KNOW. 

Have you encountered any challenges as a person of color while traveling? How did you navigate them?

Yes, I’ve experienced microaggressions while traveling. In Costa Rica, I was at a table with a pretty diverse group of people, and we got our food significantly later than the rest of our group. The servers claimed they didn’t know we were part of the group, even though we all walked in together and were seated nearby.

I've also had my braided hair and skin touched without consent, but with the utmost curiosity during a layover in China, being grabbed up by people wanting to take pictures of me and with me in many different countries. I have a viral video right now on IG with 5 million views of me in Greece and an older gentleman comes and puts his hands in my braided bun. I looked shocked, because it's popping my "American" personal space bubble, but I know through my travels that other cultures can be a bit touchier. Turns out, the gentleman just really liked the color of my braids and wanted a picture of the braids to show his girlfriend so she can style her hair similarly. I don't think this would have happened to a non-person of color while traveling. 

What advice would you give other people of color who want to travel but might feel hesitant?

Do it anyway!

How’d you pick Croatia for your first trip? What about your upcoming destination?

For Croatia, I wanted a trip where we weren’t packing up and moving every few days. I wanted a trip that garnered true community and that we could get to know each other well. Being together on the boat for seven days allowed us the communal space to just exist. We ate most meals together, hung out on the deck, went swimming, made TikToks, and looked at the stars together. It was amazing. For Portugal coming up—there is a large Black expat community that I'm hoping to tap into and there are Black owned spots in Lisbon that I'm hoping to experience with the group. 

What were some highlights of the trip and the community you built? How did this compare to other Ultimate Break trips you’ve been on?

One moment that stood out was when a young woman’s bag got delayed on the way to Split, Croatia. The airline wasn’t sure if her bag would arrive before we boarded the boat. Immediately, we all came together to help. We shared everything she might need—braid spray, extra bonnets, silk scarves, gel, edge brushes—anything to make her feel comfortable. On a typical trip where you might be the only Black traveler, you may feel alone in that situation. But here, we had her back.

Another highlight was when we did a group dinner on Juneteenth in Split and everyone in my group wore earth-tone colors and we looked stunning! Croatia is already amazing, but it was even better to gather and share that experience with other Black and People of Color travelers. I call everyone my "cousin" because we're all family at the end of the day and these trips have started to feel like one big family reunion.

Traveling is about more than just the destinations—it’s about the people you experience it with. By creating spaces specifically for Black travelers and People of Color, Jay has built a community where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to explore the world on their own terms. Whether it’s bonding over shared experiences, helping each other navigate cultural differences, or just having an unforgettable time together, these trips prove that travel is even more meaningful when you don’t have to go it alone.

Want to follow along on her journey? Get inspired with @JaymoFiasco on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.