Travel & Hospitality Watch: Black Leadership Still Lagging in the Hospitality Industry — What It Means for Black Travelers and Professionals

The hospitality world — one of the most visible and dynamic sectors in travel — has a glaring leadership problem when it comes to Black representation. According to a new OysterLink analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Black professionals now hold just 9.5% of leadership roles in the leisure and hospitality sector — and that figure is actually down from recent years.

Numbers Don’t Lie — Diversity Doesn’t Equal Leadership

Here’s the real tea:

• Black professionals make up a significant portion of the hospitality workforce, yet they’re dramatically underrepresented in management and executive roles. 
• Between 2022 and 2024, leadership roles overall grew about 16% — but Black representation shrank, from 11.3% to 9.5%. 
• When you look at the C-suite and director level, Black leaders hold only 2.1% of those top posts — that’s roughly one Black C-suite leader for every 68 executives. 

In a sector that thrives on diversity in frontline roles — hospitality workers, servers, desk agents, and support staff — the leadership pipeline simply isn’t keeping pace with the industry’s face. 

Why This Matters for Black Travelers

Representation at the top changes the travel experience — from policy and pricing to cultural programming and community impact. When Black leaders aren’t setting the table:

• Black travel preferences may be overlooked in major strategic decisions.
  
• Marketing and guest experiences risk leaning on stereotypes instead of authenticity.
  
• Hotels and resorts miss out on valuable insights into what Black travelers want — and what keeps them loyal.
  

From curated Black-centric travel packages to culturally rich hospitality amenities, leadership that reflects your customer base drives better service, innovation, and profit.

But Let’s Be Clear: Workforce=Leadership!

Sure, the hospitality floor — from valet to kitchen — often reflects racial diversity, but that doesn’t trickle up. A 2025 study from Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management found that Black leaders are vastly underrepresented the higher you go in the hierarchy.

This gap doesn’t just stunt careers — it stifles the influence Black professionals could have on shaping where and how we travel.

What Needs to Happen Next

Here’s the honest pivot: organizations can’t talk diversity and then starve the pipeline at the leadership level. To shift the culture and profit from the growing Black travel market:

✔ Build clear career ladders and mentorship programs for Black talent
✔ Hold companies accountable with transparent reporting
✔ Invest in entrepreneurship within the travel and hospitality ecosystem — from tour companies to hotel ownership
✔ Highlight Black leaders and success stories in the industry

When Black professionals lead hospitality brands and experiences, travel becomes richer, more authentic, and more inclusive.

Final Thought

The holidays are a time for travel, family, and new experiences. But the industry that helps create those memories needs a leadership shakeup — one that fully reflects the customers it serves.

Black travelers are spending billions annually — it’s time hospitality leadership catches up. Let’s push for pathways that turn frontline work into executive seats, and drive power (and profits) back into our communities.

Has your city or favorite Black-owned travel brand made moves in hospitality leadership this year?  Drop us a note — we want to spotlight it in our next travel feature.

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