How Martinique Lewis is Making the Industry More Inclusive with the ABC Travel Greenbook App

Episode Overview

Episode Topic

In this episode, we dive into the transformative impact of technology on travel for marginalized communities, focusing on the groundbreaking work of Martinique Lewis and the ABC Travel Greenbook App. Martinique shares her journey in creating a platform that not only highlights black-owned businesses globally but also aims to fill a gap in the market by addressing the unique needs and preferences of Black travelers. We discuss the app’s future, including the integration of AI technology tailored to Black travel preferences, and the importance of representation and inclusivity in the travel industry.

Lessons You’ll Learn

Listeners will gain insights into the challenges and successes of building a tech platform focused on marginalized communities. Martinique shares valuable lessons on perseverance, the importance of mentorship and networking, and how to secure support and resources in an industry that often lacks diversity. Additionally, she emphasizes the significance of representation in travel, the necessity of inclusive technology, and the importance of creating community-focused solutions that address the specific needs of underrepresented groups in the travel space.

About Our Guest

Martinique Lewis is a trailblazing figure in the travel industry, known for her dedication to promoting diversity and inclusivity. As the creator of the ABC Travel Greenbook app, Martinique has been instrumental in amplifying Black-owned businesses and travel experiences worldwide. She works closely with industry leaders and organizations like TripAdvisor to push for greater representation and understanding of Black travel preferences. With her passion for travel and her commitment to making the industry more inclusive, Martinique continues to break barriers and set new standards in the travel tech space.

Topics Covered

This episode covers a range of topics, including the development and future of the ABC Travel GreenBook app, the challenges of building a Black-owned travel tech platform, and the importance of AI technology tailored to the needs of marginalized communities. Martinique also discusses the impact of the Black Travel Scorecard on the industry, the role of mentorship and networking in achieving success, and the ongoing efforts to expand the app’s reach globally, particularly in Africa and other underrepresented regions

Our Guest: Martinique Lewis founder of the ABC Travel Greenbook

Martinique Lewis is a visionary leader in the travel industry, renowned for her groundbreaking work in promoting diversity and inclusivity. As the founder of the ABC Travel Greenbook, she has created a platform that highlights Black-owned businesses and travel experiences worldwide. Her mission is to ensure that Black travelers have access to resources that cater specifically to their needs and preferences, something often overlooked by mainstream travel platforms. Martinique’s work goes beyond merely listing businesses; she aims to create a global network that empowers Black communities by making them visible and accessible to travelers. Her innovative approach has garnered her partnerships with major industry players like TripAdvisor, demonstrating her influence and dedication to transforming the travel landscape.

Before embarking on her journey with the ABC Travel Greenbook, Martinique Lewis had already established herself as a key advocate for diversity within the travel sector. She is the creator of the Diversity in Travel Scorecard, a tool designed to hold travel brands accountable for their representation and support of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) travelers. This initiative led to the formation of the Black Travel Alliance, where Martinique continues to push for industry-wide changes that ensure fair treatment and opportunities for Black professionals and travelers. Her work has been instrumental in bringing attention to the disparities in the travel industry and has sparked important conversations about the need for more inclusive practices.

In addition to her work in travel, Martinique Lewis is a sought-after speaker and consultant, known for her deep understanding of the intersections between technology, travel, and diversity. She frequently addresses the challenges and opportunities that arise from integrating AI and other technologies into platforms designed for marginalized communities. Martinique’s vision extends beyond the United States, as she is actively working to expand the reach of the ABC Travel Greenbook to include more regions in Africa, Europe, and beyond. Her commitment to making the world more accessible and inclusive for Black travelers is unwavering, and her work continues to inspire others in the industry to follow her lead


Episode Transcript

Martinique Lewis : ABC Travel Greenbook, we’ll be changing the name sooner than later. , it’s a little long and, you know, it’s a one word. So we’ll be changing the name. But the biggest thing that people will see implemented as soon as this Saturday is our AI chatbot. And the reason that we put in this AI chatbot is okay. Now we know the future of travel is technology, but now we know the future of everything is AI, right? And when it comes to AI generated help, none of them speak to black travel preferences, nor can they really understand the way that we talk. Nor can they speak to the things that we’re asking it to do. And so I work very closely with TripAdvisor. They are great partners of mine. But even Trip Advisors AI chatbot, if I go and I ask, where are the black people in Ecuador? They can’t tell me. They’ll say Blacks in Ecuador make up a small percentage. They can’t tell me that they’re in Cuenca. They can’t tell me that they’re in Chota. They can’t tell me that they’re in this specific place in Quito, and that they celebrate their afro-Ecuadorian heritage every November. It cannot tell me that. So we created AI chatbot that was specifically towards black travel preferences and trends. And so that’s the next big thing because there’s nothing like that out in the market. And so the goal is to be able to then take this technology and sell it back to Demos and CVS, so that when somebody goes on their sites and they type in black owned restaurants, or what are the the top black festivals in Houston, Texas every year, or where are the high end black restaurants? This technology can be able to spit it out like that and it’s all user generated. So that’s the other great thing, right? It’s all user generated. But understanding that machine learning is very different and it’s still biased. So that’s one of the biggest things that we’re doing next that I’m extremely proud of.

 Meghan McSwain: The Black Travel Scorecard is a notable initiative by the Alliance. How does it work and what changes has it spurred in the travel industry, in your opinion? Yeah, yeah.

Martinique Lewis : So initially on my own, I used to do the diversity and travel scorecard. So that was something that I put out into the industry because before 2017 and 2018 we didn’t have anything or anybody saying, what are you doing to support Bipoc travelers or what are you doing to support diversity? So taking that same concept, I took it over to the Black Travel Alliance in 2020 because we wanted to show the rest of the industry that there is a problem when hiring black talent, when amplifying black stories, when working with black owned businesses, when your conventions are coming in here with supporting black events that are being brought to your city. And so what it did is it amplified the disparities that were really going on within the travel space. And even though that data is extremely important, what it does now is continues to amplify how much of a problem we still have. We know in 2020 and 2021, everybody was beating diversity over the head. You know, just diversity, diversity, diversity. And we know in 2024 doesn’t look the same. Budgets have depleted. People are like okay, that’s over. Now on to the next thing. And we’re like no it’s not over. Exactly. And so even last year when we came out with the study, there was a significant difference on how many brands actually participated, almost by 70%. And that is a problem. Why aren’t you answering these questions? Well, because you even haven’t done anything since 2020. You haven’t been able to get the budget that you needed. You haven’t implemented what you said you were going to do. And we know that, right? So it’s just one of those things where we can continue to pray for the industry, uh, where we can continue to try to show the industry the best way to moving forward, to make sure that the, you know, ground is level and that the playing field is level. But, you.

 Meghan McSwain: Know, truth.

Martinique Lewis : Be told, nothing changes if nothing changes. I’m always so optimistic. We understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day. But you do have to put one foot in front of the other to be able to be successful. So yeah, it’s something that I closely watch. It’s something that I often talk about. And actually, , on June 11th, Black Child Alliance will be having our annual state of the industry event. And we always do it every year to to show the industry where they are now, , based off of where they were in 2020 when we first started. So it should be a great.

 Meghan McSwain: Looking forward, what developments or new projects can we expect from the ABC Travel Greenbook app besides the new name, of course. Yeah. Besides, I know about yeah.

Martinique Lewis : Besides the AI chat bot right now. Honestly. That’s it. You know, a lot of black founders don’t have access to things like they need to, and I have been fortunate enough to have that access. But I also acknowledge that I am a travel girly. I am not a tech girly, so I’m still learning right? And understanding how to grow the app as much as possible. But the biggest thing is I want to make sure that I get it in different languages, and I want to make sure that whatever , we’re doing on the continent of Africa, that I am able to source all the black owned businesses. And the reason that I say it is because people asse, because it’s Africa, that it’s black owned. And I’m like, no, first of all, there is 54 countries in Africa and not all are filled with black people. But even more so, we have to understand, because whoever came over and colonized whatever countries, that’s who owns the businesses, right? Or there are a lot of Asian entrepreneurs who are coming in now building things and instead of hiring locally, are bringing other people from Asia to come in and work. And so there’s issues there, right? So when we go out and we seek places, for example, I was in Rwanda last year, this time I’m walking through the hotel and I’m thinking, why do I see Prince Charles and Camilla hanging up in Kigali? Is it this is Rwanda? I said, what is I? You know what I mean? I’m like, this is mind blowing.

Martinique Lewis : And so I asked them, where are the black owned hotels? Oh, well, there aren’t that many. Why? This is Rwanda, you know, so things like that continue to happen. And I really, really want to grow our presence on the continent. But the bigger thing is I want to grow our presence outside of the United States, Europe and the UK because the thing is, there’s black people everywhere. I want the ABC Travel Greenbook app to be used every single day. So not only when people are traveling, but when they just want to support black owned businesses around the world, but also making sure that that language barrier is no longer there, and making sure that we have enough businesses listed, enough events listed in every single place that we are. So, you know, I’m constantly just trying to think of new ways, new partnerships in terms of that growth track, because that’s what it’s going to take, partnerships. And so I’ve been really, really fortunate thus far to have a lot of DMO partners. , and I’m trying to get more specifically on the continent. But South Africa has been amazing to me as well as Sierra Leone. And so 52 more to go. Yeah.

 Meghan McSwain: Well, it’s really admirable that you’re, you know, getting so many eyes and so much awareness on this because, like you said, I mean, even Miami, for example, anyone in the US will know, yeah, black owned businesses or the black culture. There might not be the first thing that comes to mind in a place like that. So when you look at it globally, it’s really impressive that you are kind of bringing that awareness from all over and showing people, yeah, there are people doing this. There are people who own these hotels. So, so really, really great work., what advice would you give to someone looking to start their own venture in the travel industry, particularly in creating more inclusive spaces?

Martinique Lewis : Yeah. , I would say for one, be secure in yourself so nobody can tell you anything about your business. And so nobody can discourage you from what you are building. It is very difficult to be a black woman building a black app, a black travel app in the travel space. And part of the reason is, is just because there’s nobody else who I can ask to help me, right? When you think about any of the travel apps right now, I can count on my hand how many are black owned. And so I would say, stick to your guns, make sure that you’re secure in what you’re talking about and keep going. You know, last year I was crying because I couldn’t find people who looked like me to ask for help. This year, I have a plethora of them, and that’s because I also put myself out there. So make sure that you know you’re putting your Google search. , every time something comes up about a travel, you know, pitch competition, that you’re notified so that you can continue to apply until you get a yes. And the biggest thing about being a travel entrepreneur entrepreneur is even more than money. You want the mentorship, you want the access, you want the opportunity you know, and you want the network. And so go to the travel conferences, sit on the front row, ask questions, make yourself known in the space so that you can get the help that you need so that people will definitely support you 100% of the way. So that’s the advice that I would give people.

 Meghan McSwain: Right in this way that you’re saying is that this space is only going to get bigger and bigger, think about it and say, well, there’s no one else doing this. I’m not going to do it either. Then the space will never kind of expand.

Martinique Lewis : Exactly, exactly. It’s up to you. How do you.

 Meghan McSwain: Right. Yeah. How do you see technology continuing to transform the travel industry for marginalized communities? Clearly it’s a benefit. It’s helping, but there’s challenges. Yeah as well.

Martinique Lewis : Yeah. And there are a lot more, , brands who are doing things for specific communities. And I really, really appreciate that because can’t nobody tell me about black travel or anything but myself. Right? So it’s one of those things where it’s like, okay. And so we definitely see that transforming in every single accelerate. I see there are, you know, Mexican tech founder creating something like the ABC Travel Greenbook app. But for Mexicans, you know what I mean? Like, it is so profound and so amazing because now we have the opportunities to be able to speak to our communities and to be able to say we’re going to create community digitally now and so that we could connect culturally and safely when we go from place to place. And I want people to understand this is nothing new, right? The original Negro Motorist Greenbook was based off a book that the Jewish people created for the Catskills. And so because they were friends with Victor Hugo Green, he took their concept and then, uh, created something about it. It’s the same thing you saw in Tennessee. They created the Orange Book so that people knew where they were needed to be able to help marginalized communities. So it’s really something that just sparks. But I know we’ll be able to continue to see that as there are more and more resources for marginalized communities in the tech space.

 Meghan McSwain: That is amazing, and I hope so, and I hope to connect again with you in the future to sort of look back on all of this and see how it’s progressed. Thank you, Marty, for sharing your inspiring journey in the transformative initiatives you lead. Your dedication to advancing travel, inclusivity and representation is truly commendable. Let our listeners know where they can connect with you and where they can. Learn more about the ABC Travel Greenbook app.

Martinique Lewis : Yes. So if you guys are on LinkedIn, which I hope all of you are as entrepreneurs, we must be on LinkedIn. That is where I get 70% of my brand partnerships. That is how people know who I am. So please connect with me on LinkedIn. Martinique Lewis is my name there, and also the ABC Travel Greenbook app has a page as well on social media. My personal is Marty underscore San Diego. That is the same on X, also known as Twitter and then on Instagram is also the ABC Travel Greenbook. And that’s how you can find black owned businesses visually throughout the world through my page there. So again, thank you so much for having me. You can follow the websites as well. Marty Sandiego.com and ABC travel Network.com.
 Meghan McSwain: Thank you so much. We will definitely connect to our listeners. Please don’t forget to follow, subscribe and leave a review for more insightful episodes. Until next time, keep exploring and pushing the boundaries of travel, safe travels and goodbye.