Exploring the world, domestically or internationally, is a privilege that, for many, isn’t taken lightly. After nearly three centuries of enslavement and decades of systematic oppression that included the need to create travel guidebooks such as The Negro Motorist Green Book by Victor Hugo Green, Black people know all too well how important (and freeing) it is to be able to see the world on their own terms. However, just because we are now free to explore the world doesn’t mean the world always welcomes us.

Anti-Blackness extends far beyond America’s shores, making the travel experience significantly different for Black explorers in comparison to other races. Planning a getaway isn’t as simple as finding a good deal or deciding whether to visit during high or low season. Black travelers need to know that they will be welcomed, and more importantly, safe. Social media searches for topics like “Is Italy safe for Black people?” are the norm, as are videos of travelers listing the countries they feel have been the safest or most welcoming to Black people.

There are also videos warning Black travelers away from businesses in those destinations that mistreated them directly or indirectly, solely because of their race. Essentially, the digital age version of Green’s guidebook has one major difference—Black people now have more political and economic influence than ever before. No longer are we simply accepting anti-Blackness as the norm. We are fighting back using the only weapons the world truly understands, money and power.

Stateside, Black people feeling unwelcome and choosing to spend money elsewhere have caused billions in losses for brands like Target, which lost an estimated $12.4 billion since Black people began protesting their DEI policy rollback. When it comes to travel, that level of influence, plus a reported $145 billion in travel spending power , means that Black travelers no longer have to suffer destinations that don’t want them there.

“Black people now have more political and economic influence than ever before. No longer are we simply accepting anti-Blackness as the norm.” — Imani Bashir

Many have decided to stop focusing on taking up space in unwelcoming environments, and instead have chosen to take their passports and their money to countries where they are sure to have more positive experiences and can support the diaspora at the same time. It’s a form of resistance that is very familiar to the culture, according to travel and cultural journalist Imani Bashir.

“Black travel in and of itself is a form of resistance, and we can link back to the Greenbook or journeys of our foremothers and fathers like James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Josephine Baker, etc. Black travelers now have a difference in buying power and being able to leverage that privilege by going to places that truly welcome us and allow us to feel safe in ways we may not have in the past. Many Black travelers have traded the desire to go to places like Europe to instead support the economic growth of countries in Africa like Ghana, South Africa, and Senegal, or other nations where we can see ourselves, like Cuba, Brazil, and Fiji,” she says.