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Home · Black Creators

Black Creators: 'That Couple Who Travels' Is More Than A Catchy Name It's A Lifestyle

MJ and LJ met on a flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Now, they’re exploring the globe together while creating a thriving travel platform.
Black Creators: ‘That Couple Who Travels’ Is More Than A Catchy Name It’s A Lifestyle
Courtesy of @thatcouplewhotravels
By Ashley Nkadi · Updated November 4, 2020

Black Creators is a special series highlighting some of the amazing Black women and men who’ve successfully used their passion and platform to unite our community.

Imagine traveling the world solo, and meeting the perfect travel partner along the way. MJ and LJ met on a flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Now, they’re exploring the globe together. From playing with koalas in Australia to venturing to the Ancient Pyramids of Giza to island hopping in Greece, “That Couple Who Travels” is definitely the right name for their blog and brand.

During their adventures, MJ and LJ realized the deficit of resources and stories about Black traveler and Black traveling couples — so, they created That Couple Who Travels, a website and Instagram account that provides couples with the information and inspiration needed to create unforgettable memories around the world.

View this post on Instagram

[Date Ideas From Around The World Series] Highlighting Buenos Aires ⠀ {{SAVE THIS}} ⠀ While many of us aren’t traveling right now, we can plan! Many consider Buenos Aires to be the Paris of South America. We spent a weekend here and had a great time. ⠀ If you are a meat and potatoes type of man or woman, you will be in food heaven in Buenos Aires. There are Parrillas, aka steakhouses, on every corner serving up nearly every cut of beef that exists with extensive wine lists to match. Then there are these gorgeous ice cream shops all around town. When in Buenos Aires, you and your love can make some good memories and have some great food! Below are five date ideas! Check out the link in our bio for more details on each idea. If you look at this down the line, just go to our blog and search Buenos Aires. ⠀ 🥩 Eat at the Renowned Steakhouse 📚Go to the World’s Most Beautiful Book Store 💃🏾 Take Tango Lessons 🖍 Take in the Art and Architecture 🍴Dine at a Closed-Door Restaurant ⠀ SN: The food was so good at @DonJulioParrilla that MJ fell into a food coma. Lol Swipe to see. ⠀ #Argentina #BuenosAires #DateIdeas #DateNight #VisitArgentina

A post shared by LJ & MJ | Travel Couple (@thatcouplewhotravels) on Aug 10, 2020 at 9:27am PDT

Their blog serves as a resource for travel and love stories, and invites their audience to follow along as MJ and LJ explore and learn about different cultures and communities. Think travel tips, destination details, date ideas — the works!

LJ works in digital advertising and MJ in tech sales and consulting, but they always find a way to make time for traveling. 

Recently, the couple co-founded the Black Travel Alliance with a cohort of Black content creators. Black Travel Alliance launched with the purpose of supporting Black content creators around the world and increasing their representation in the travel industry — including but not limited to employment, conferences, and media. 

Black Travel Alliance, particularly, launched in the wake of social unrest from the fatal police brutality that claimed George Floyd’s life. While travel brands and companies scrambled to proclaim that #BlackLivesMatter, MJ and LJ worked to make sure that rang true, by fostering and facilitating Black representation across significant areas of the travel industry. 

On the importance of being a Black-owned business and platform, LJ and MJ told ESSENCE, “representation matters. We believe that when positive Black narratives and stories are shared in the media, our experience will exponentially improve in all facets of life.”

View this post on Instagram

𝟱𝟬 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 – Chefchaouen is a city located in Northern Morocco. It is often called, The Blue City due to its gorgeous blue walls and buildings throughout the city. The city has a really interesting history. In 1920, it was captured by the Spanish, forming part of Spain’s territory in Morocco. So even today, you will see and hear many people speaking Spanish there. The city wasn’t always blue but during the Second World War, many Jews who were fleeing Europe and Hitler immigrated to Morocco. They painted the walls blue in the Jewish Quarters where they resided to symbolize the sky and heaven. As for the rest of the city, there are a lot of folktales as to why it is also blue. Some say its to repel mosquitoes, others say to keep cool, others say simply because it looks nice and attracts more tourists. Who knows but we do know that it is a sight to see! ⠀ Do y’all like history lessons like this or nah? Let us know, please! ⠀ #TheBlueCity #Chefchaouen #Morocco

A post shared by LJ & MJ | Travel Couple (@thatcouplewhotravels) on Oct 7, 2019 at 10:54am PDT

As for the significance of their footprint on the travel industry, they further explained, “Black people spend over $60 billion on travel annually. Yet, our stories aren’t told enough, and we are underrepresented in the industry in terms of employment, press, marketing, and travel conferences. This contributes to the wealth gap for Black content creators and creatives, and it can have a negative impact on the Black travel experience. It is the mission of the Black Travel Alliance to support Black content creators around the world and increase their representation in the travel industry.”

LJ and MJ expressed that “at That Couple Who Travels, [they] want people, especially Black couples, to know that their travel dreams and relationship goals can be their reality.”

At the Black Travel Alliance, they want Black travel content creators to know that there is space for them and that they are available and willing to help amplify their voices and hold the travel industry accountable.

LJ and MJ provide Black content creators with training, networking, and support, and give allies the tools to be the change they want to see. Furthermore, they offer brands consulting and access to talented Black content creators. 

If you want to create unforgettable memories around the world, follow That Couple Who Travels for inspiration and information. 

You can find That Couple Who Travels at thatcouplewhotravels.com and on Instagram at @thatcouplewhotravels. Black Travel Alliance lives at blacktravelalliance.com, and can be found on LinkedIn and Instagram at @theblacktravelalliance.

TOPICS:  Black creatives The Couple Who Travels
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