In an effort to “change the narrative about what American travelers look like and how they travel,” a group of engineers with degrees from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Morehouse, and the Georgia Institute of Technology took the initiative to co-found URBN TRVL.

This travel company is described as “a curated marketplace for the best travel experiences across the globe,” Its overall mission is to encourage Black people to travel internationally.

The Pew Research Center found that 49% of Black Americans have traveled internationally, compared to the 75% of white Americans. Additionally, 30% of white Americans claimed they had traveled to at least five countries, while only 13% of Black Americans said the same.

Andrew Adams, Paul Duncan, and Yishak Habtemichael co-founded URBN TRVL to help close this travel gap and encourage more Black people to book international vacations.

Some exciting new trips URBN TRVL has outlined for 2022 include an excursion to Mexico City later this month and opportunities to hit up countries like Panama, Chile, Kenya, and Ghana throughout the year. Further information on these trips is available online, and it’s worth noting that the Kenya and Ghana trips will respectively take place over Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

As for memorable past trips, the company visited Cartagena, Columbia, in 2018 before hitting the Himalayas a year later. There’s also a video from the group’s trip to Senegal last year on YouTube.

It’s worth mentioning that URBN TRVL specializes in setting up group trips, which they say helps promote safety in numbers.

“Our itineraries are designed to foster integration and appreciation for cultures while offering experiences for both the adrenaline junkie as well as the beach bum. We cater to all wanderers with one goal in mind: quality and inclusive experience,” URBN TRVL writes on its website.

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