Notice mapped over 100 initiatives from all regions of the country

Every year, afro-tourism gains more relevance in national tourism, especially due to the mobilization and diversification of services and agents involved in the segment. To map this activity and understand the pains and challenges of the segment, Diaspora.Black carried out the first national public call for AfroTourism promotion, with the Black Paths Notice, in 2022. The call aimed to map and support initiatives throughout the country with technical and financial resources, with the goal of promoting new routes focused on Afro-Brazilian memories and cultures. 

The first stage of the project, the AfroTourism Mapping mobilized more than 100 organizations of Afro-entrepreneurs throughout the country. The results of the research, unprecedented in the country, reveal that 85% of the initiatives are led by black women. About 31% of the entrepreneurs in the initiatives have a master's degree and 21% have a higher education, but the income generated from tourism activities is low, in the range of R$ 1000.

The mapping also identified that most initiatives are concentrated in the Southeast (54%), operate as MEI (35%), and have low adherence to new sales and management technologies. The data and results of the mapping can be accessed in this report, produced by the researchers responsible for the conception and mapping of the project, the Mapping report can be accessed at this link.

"Knowing the creators and their challenges is an important step to strengthen the segment. These data, combined with the flow of visitors and reservations, are essential to understand the importance of economic and social development for the segment. This is essential to consolidate a new tourism in Brazil, where we can see and recognize ourselves in the main destinations," explains the founder of Diaspora.Black, Carlos Humberto Silva Filho.

The diagnosis signals the way to strengthen entrepreneurs, who mentioned their main pains and demands for technical content, workshops, and mentoring. After the Mapping, Diaspora.Black also held in March 2022, the Creative Routes Laboratory with workshops by experts on topics such as financial management; route construction; storytelling and communication. 

There were over 40 hours of content and training, open to all participants in the Notice. After the laboratory, 10 initiatives and route proposals were selected to receive financial resources and support for the production of promotional material for the initiatives.

The selection will be made by an external curatorial committee, made up of reference professionals and associations in the segment.  Collectives, micro-entrepreneurs, agencies, or traditional communities that were already working or had projects for tourist and cultural routes valuing Afro-Brazilian culture participated.

"When we think of other possibilities for more democratic, inclusive, and disruptive tourism, we seek authentic experiences that value black cultures and ancestries. This notice is an important step towards this," says tourismologist and researcher, Michel Ferreira. 

The Diaspora.Black team is already working on the realization of the 2nd Edition in 2023! The first edition of the Black Paths Notice: AfroTourism Mapping and Creative Routes Laboratory was carried out by Diaspora.Black, sponsored by Grupo Carrefour through the Together to Transform Notice.