If not, Check our IG to find out where we're going in 2024 and while you’re there- follow and like our posts (please!)- but get a hint of ONE of our destinations in this picture below:

On this FIRST day of Black History Month, we are so excited to share about some new products we are dropping this month! In a nutshell:

1. We are excited to drop our self-guided Black Oakland audio tour, which allows you to take our Black Oakland tour at your leisure. Check it out HERE and we will send notice once the tour is published, later this month

2. This month, we are excited to celebrate our coined term “Blasian New Year” since Black History Month and Lunar New Year coincide once again! To celebrate, join us tomorrow, Saturday February 3, the Oakland Asian Culture Center celebrates Asian x Black Solidarity. Come!!!

   

3. Fam, we are SO excited to be participating in this year’s Black Joy Parade festival on Sunday, February 28th with Etny, our company school bus. You tryna join our crew, and process with us to win best in show? Respond to this email if you’re interested in participating- limited space available.

4. Last but NOT least: we want to support inclusive and diverse travel, so we are sharing a few opportunities for travel-related government contracts, which we monitor and inquire about regularly:

1. Indigenous-Led tourism efforts in Washington DC (USAID): Indigenous-led Tourism Partnerships to Advance Well-being Agency for International Development Agency for International Development- this is request for information ONLY

2. LIFT (Local Investment for Tourism) program for Campbell county, Kentucky: Through the Local Investment Fund for Tourism (LIFT) Program, meetNKY sets aside funds for special promotional programs within the counties of Boone, Campbell and Kenton that benefit the local tourism industry

Looking forward to all this month brings, and if you’re in Oakland for Black Joy Parade or are a local and want to support local Black businesses, sign up for our Black Oakland tour! Spots going fast, but we will make space for you and your crew!

-Coming to the Table conference, June 2023

While we started our travel agency in 2019 to support all things travel for the culture and all of our (melanated) people, we could have NEVER guessed that a global pandemic would hit the world, crippling the travel and many industries overnight. Even through we are almost 5 years in, it feels like we are JUST getting our bearings since 2 years were taken from us amidst COVID-19. Well, we are BACK with a vengeance and have a lot planned moving forward. We explain our goals below:

1. Travel Consulting: We are a full service travel agency, and support a few different industries:

   1. Government/ Municipal: through fulfillment services like flights, lodging and ground transportation for government and corporate accounts

   2. Culture-based groups: for organizations with a national presence, we provide travel consulting and arrangements

   3. Individual groups: for families, girls trips and more, we provide bespoke opportunities for customized experiences

In 2024, we want to DOUBLE our clientele base, so if you know of any organizations or a friend/ family group planning travel in 2024, let us know! We excel via word of mouth and referrals and are FOCUSED on supporting your travel needs this year!

2. Curated Group Trips: This year, we are excited to build on some of what we started last year, including:

   1. AfroNational Miami concierge suites and luxury experiences

   2. International group trip to a very special place in Mexico for ancestral reverence(can you guess?)

   3. International group trip to the BLaCkeST city outside of Africa (can you guess?)

3. Travel Agent Academy: People of color are SO underrepresented as professionals in the travel industry, and we are going to do something about that NOW. Indeed, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that the global travel and tourism sector will reach US$9.5 trillion in 2023 — just 5% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels, and the Black Traveler report shares that Black U.S. leisure travelers spent $109.4 billion, yes, $109.4 billion in 2019 (which accounts to 13% of the total industry). That’s not even considering our indigenous, Latine, Asian and additional cultural segments!

This year, we are sharing our knowledge and focused on recruiting, hiring and training travel professionals of color, bringing them on FAM (familiarization) trips and more!

Ways YOU can help:

1. Sponsorship/ Partnership- every form of support including monetary, in-kind donations, collaborations/ partnerships and information helps! Support here

2. Referrals- do you have coworkers, family or friends looking to plan a trip? Refer us, and we will love to share a gift with you!

3. Repeat customers- have we supported your prior travel? Let us book your next trip!

   Stay tuned to see where our group trips are headed, and follow us on social media for more regular insights into our work!

   Give a gift subscription

We are in the final weeks of 2023, and as we plan for 2024, we need all the support we can get! Some plans include:

1. Retrofitting our bus: Oh yeah, we got a new (retired) schoolbus so we can extend our tours to a wider audience without such restrictive costs for transportation needs. Welcome Etny to our team! Supporting Etny’s retrofit will:

   1. Help us to lower costs to attend our vehicle-led tours (East Bay Solidarity and Black Oakland tours) since we won’t have to reserve mini-buses or coaches (which eat up almost half of revenue!!!)- so we can welcome more community members, elders and youth on our tours

   2. Make our dream of FREE monthly tours a reality. We want to welcome local youth to historic and cultural parts of Oakland that they may walk by everyday with little or no knowledge of the significance of a place, OR that people who look like them influenced local policy and human rights locally. We want to host atleast 6 FREE tours for the community in 2024

   3. Local partnership to welcome sponsors of the bus and tours in general. For local businesses, we are offering the opportunity to highlight your logo and brand on our bus through sponsorships. Learn more here

   4. We are also taking in-kind donations of information, resources and labor to get the bus right. Etny needs:

      1. 2 new batteries

      2. an overall mechanic update

      3. a bus cleaning (inside and out), including:

         1. exterior painting and/ or mural

         2. interior flooring and new walls

         3. bluetooth and TV installation

         4. new seats

2. Support for 2024 group retreats: we support the culture locally and abroad and are planning for upcoming group trips/ retreats including:

   1. Miami/ Afronation May 2024- see the recap here

   2. Salvador, Brasil November 2024- Black Conscience Day

   3. Ghana Detty December 2024- learn more here

   To make these things happen, we are accepting FUND$, in-kind information, resources, partnerships and alladat!

3. Investments into business development: y’all, thought I appreciate the community support, I mostly been doing ALL this on my own, and now it’s time to invest in business growth with:

   1. Overall operational needs: meaning hiring more consistent team members, including:

      1. tour guides/ cultural liaisons

      2. tour manager

      3. partnerships/ growth coordinator

   2. Marketing/ branding support, which we can do more consistently with FUND$$$$$. Here’s an example of a subsidized marketing tool made by the Port of Oakland. We need more of this and less of the same old, homemade IG reels (though they’re fire too.)

This year, we did invest in a recap video made by @visionarymedia:

If you have ever joined ANY of our events and believe in what we do, PLEASE consider donating funds, time, information, labor or whatever you feel called to. Also, please feel free to share with any of your corporate counterparts who have the bigger DOUGH to make our dreams a reality! Find our sponsorship package here and reach out with any questions!

Donate Here

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For those of you who are interested or planning on attending AfroNation Miami, which is the FIRST time AfroNation hits US soil, we got you covered! We have a party package with you in mind, including:

• Lodging in Brickell, close to shops, art and culture

• An exclusive concert suite with options for buffet-style catering

• A yacht party for you and upto 12 of your friends

Book Now

Bring in the Summer right with us in sunny Miami! Contact us for any questions and for more information!

Check out our recent segment on KRON 4's "Live in the Bay" segment, then bag your discount on our upcoming tours!

We were so honored to have been hosted by the "Live in the Bay" segment on MLK Day. Thank you to Olivia Horton and the whole production crew for having us!

As we prepare for the upcoming cultural celebrations, including the Lunar New Year (Jan 22) and Black History Month (the month of February), we welcome you to join in the excitement of the New Year with group discounts.

See the Full Segment Here

Let us remind you of our engaging, interactive tours, which currently include:

• The Taco/ Fruitvale Tour (walking)

• The Chinatown Tour (walking)

• The Black Oakland Tour (mobile- chartered vehicle= 8 person minimum)

• Our newest East Bay Solidarity Tour (mobile-chartered vehicle= 8 person minimum)

Sign Up Now!

We are excited to be hosting local tours for the upcoming Bioneers Conference. Since 1990, the Bioneers Conference has served as a trellis on which this visionary movement of movements has grown and grown together around authentic “solve-the-whole problem” solutions. As we roll into our 34th annual conference, the big wheels of massive change are turning.

Bioneers is about a revolution from the heart of nature and the human heart. Never has it been more vital that we come together around the council fire to share what we’ve learned, link arms, fill our hearts and vision, and align ourselves to prevail for the long haul.

We invite you to join us at Bioneers 2023, where we’ll join forces with the Bioneers community of leadership in this time when we’re all called upon to be leaders.

Register Here

Interested in collaborating? Reach out to us if you want to be a vendor on our tours, if you’re interested in being a local tour guide or if you’re interested in bringing your work or friend group on one of our tours!

Start a Substack

As we prepare for the end of 2022, we are so grateful for all of the love and support we have shared this year. Looking forward, we are standing strong in our growth, and want to share our success and plans with you!

This year we:

1. Had our first 35+ person group with local nonprofit Bioneers, and we are continuing our relationship with them in 2023. Check them out here

   

2. Trained and hired our first crew of local tour guides

   

   

   3.Received our biggest grant to date, the Comcast RISE Grant , which is supporting our business development with unrestricted capital injection AND a business growth platform hosted by Zen Business Development.

   

   We are beyond honored and look forward to exponential growth in 2023! Speaking of our plans for the New Year, we are looking forward to organizational growth and capacity-building, and we plan to develop what is actually 2 separate businesses: Ethnic Ties Travel Agency and Bay Area Cultural Tours. We will grow each through: industry engagement, training and hiring local cultural liaisons/ tour guides, strategic brand partnerships and community engagement initiatives.

   Want to be involved? Join our growing community in a number of ways:

1. Join our tours, which you can learn about here. Bring your family, friends, visitors, school/ work/ church group and explore the rich diversity and deep roots of the Town. Discounts for organizations and for groups of 15+

2. Support our growth with community-based investment, sponsorships or in-kind donations (looking for swag bags, donated sprinter buses, etc.) or by volunteering (technical assistance, administrative and community engagement support needed)

3. Want to partner? Contact us at info@ethnicties.org and let’s collaborate on some creative experiences!

If you have any other ideas, reach out! We are open to growth this year and beyond and look forward to what 2023 has to bring! Stay tuned for developments in local tours as well as travel packages, coming to you the first week of January 2023. Until then, happy holidays, happy New Year and let’s continue to take care of ourselves and each other!

Sign Up Now!

We are ONE day away from our Saturday tours, and we have a few spots left! Join your friend or loved one, and join our tour, which gives you so much more than just the film. The sprinter van tour will include historical and culturally significant locations to the BPP, food, culture and finally, we will be ending at the iconic Grand Lake Theatre to watch the film together. The tour will include:

• Guided tour in chartered mini bus to historic landmarks

• Enjoy lite fare from a local, black-owned restaurant

• Visit the Women of the Black Panther Party Mural and mini- museum

• Stop at Marcus Books, the ONLY Black-Owned bookstore in Oakland

• See the BPP first office and their main headquarters and more

• See the historic 16th street station known for the pullman porters

• Ticket to Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film at the Grand Lake Theatre

• Remaining group times at: 9am, 12pm, 4pm

  

  Sign Up Now

Bring your watch crew and enjoy this in-person guided tour, spending the day entrenched in Oakland history, culture and community and of course, experiencing the magic of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Want to support a community watch crew? Options available to underwrite a group of 10 seniors, youth or your discretion

Plus – one Finalist will be voted Fan Favorite and walk away with an additional $5,000 prize! Make sure you tune in so you can vote. Mark your calendars and head to the link below for more details.

CTA: https://www.excelerateamerica.com/services/grant-competition

Until then, we are excited to share about our next series of tours, which are OPEN for booking NOW!

Get Your Ticket Now!

On this special tour, we will tour historic areas of Oakland related to the Black Panther Party before attending the release of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film the weekend of November 11-13. Click below to learn more about the tour and to sign up now!

Be sure to check out our most recent developments in the land of the Lenape and Mohawk tribes (Manhattan/ NYC and Kingston, NY) for insights into prioritizing Indigenous and Black, decolonial histories while travelling with Ms. Acacia

Fam… we made it to the finalist round of the Excelerate America grant competition program! We are so thrilled to be moving onto the next round and are so appreciative for all who made this happen!

We have been relatively quiet about it, but we are looking to expand our offerings in 2023 by:

• Streamlining our organization (with administrative support)

• Training and hiring local tour guides (recent high school and college grads preferably with challenges to “traditional” forms of employment), who may include recently arrived asylum-seeking students, previously incarcerated youth, etc.

• Create an ACTUAL budget for operations/ overhead, including: regular marketing, outreach, events (Black Joy Parade, travel/ tourism series, collaborating with local businesses to create tourism-fueled engagements)

We are going to be working diligently on our pitch, which will be LIVE Thursday, November 3 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST. Plus, the audience will be able to vote on a $5,000 Fan Favorite winner during and after the event! Stay tuned for more ways to support, and in the meantime, come and learn more about our local tours, and see what they’ve looked like thus far:

Also, see our upcoming Black Oakland Tour: Oakanda Forever series, in celebration of and including the premiere of the Black Panther film, in theatres November 11!

Innanets fam, we are SO thrilled to announce that Ethnic Ties has been selected as a semi-finalist for @ExcelerateAmerica’s Fall Grant Competition! 

The grand prize is $15,000 – but I need your help to get there. 

Over the next week, the 20 semi-finalists will be narrowed down to 8 finalists through a public vote, and only the 8 businesses with the most votes will get to pitch in front of the panel of judges for a chance to win the grand prize. 

Please vote for my business to advance to the finals at the link below. Voting is open through Sunday, October 16 at 11:59pm EST. 

CTA: https://www.excelerateamerica.com/services/grant-competition

Vote NOW

Also stay tuned to learn more about plans for our upcoming Black Oakland Tour: Oakanda Forever, in light of the upcoming release of Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever, in theatres November 11…

We are also super interested in sponsorships, collaborations and in general working together to love on the #Town through tourism, inclusive storytelling and local investment.
#thanks in advance yall! Stay tuned to see how this unravels…

Now that we find ourselves in Spring season, we are emerging with new information and opportunities! We acknowledge all the changes we continue to be challenged (and blessed with) and find solace in our mission to support micro-communities through conscious tourism opportunities that highlight local narratives. So, we are super excited to announce that we are approaching our 1st year anniversary of leading local tours, and we couldn’t be more excited!

If you didn’t know, we launched a few tours last year, including:

Fruitvale/ Taco Walking Tour and we are happy to our “Un-Cinco de Mayo” tour again on May 7th.

Sign up Here

Black Foodie Tour

and now, we’re happy to announce that WE ARE GROWING!!! Starting May 2022, we will be hosting our first Chinatown Walking Tour in conjunction with the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and local businesses and merchant associations. We are still ironing out the details so if you’re interested in more information, sign up below to get new information like tour dates first!

Sign Up to Stay Updated

We’re Hiring! Send us Your Referrals!

In light of these new offerings and in our continued effort to uplift the stories of locals, we are hiring for 3 local tour guides. Please see the flyer below, and if you are interested or know anyone who may be, please pass the information:

As always, take care of yourselves and each other!

And for those who aren’t feeling it, we want to remind you that

YOU ARE LOVED!!!

As we ramp up a few things on our side, we also want to remind you to love on your local small businesses and Oakland natives by supporting some of our upcoming tours.

Black Foodie Tour

Celebrate Black History Month is coming to an end, come on our last tour date for the month on Saturday, February 26th!

RSVP for the Black Foodie Tour

Fruitvale Taco Tour

Taco Tuesdays are holidays to us too, and we get to enjoy them weekly! Sign up for our next guided taco tour, or find our self-guided tour via Visit Oakland and do the tour on your own time!

RSVP for the Fruitvale Taco Tour

Don’t see dates you like? Reach out to us directly and request a custom time, or reach out for corporate/ large groups to create the tour you want.

Want to Learn More About What’s Coming This Year?

Come visit us at at the Black Joy Parade, taking place on Sunday, February 26th in downtown Oakland. We will be in the streets, engaging with our beloved community with:

• Raffle and prizes

• Virtual tours of Black History in Oakland

• Learn about upcoming travel opportunities

Ready to sign up? Head to AirBNB and register now!

***DUE TO THE RECENT UPTICK IN COVID-CASES, TO ATTEND YOU MUST SHOW PROOF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST, TAKEN WITHIN THE LAST 48 HOURS

For a visual reel on the events of Art Basel, check out our IG at ms.acaciatravels

You ever attended an Art Basel event? Did you know that there are multiple locations, including Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong? Are you familiar with NFT’s, crypto and DAO’s? NOT ME!!! Phew, if you knew any of these things, then you are one informed cookie, because most of this information was new to me… I thought I was going to an overpopulated gallery show, but found that Art Basel is so much more than that! In a nutshell, this is what I learned:

• Art Basel brings together artists, collectors, technologists, investors, creators and much more!

• Beyond that, this year’s Art Basel created some opportunities for equitable presence for Black artists, as sponsored by some heavy-hitting corporations like Instagram, Jack Daniels and more

• The tech influence this year was HEAVY!!! I got to learn more about NFTs, Cryptocoins, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and more

  

Art Basel was MUCH more than a party

Ok, yes, it was a HUGE part! Shout out to the homie, Carla, for getting me on the Telegram list for Black@Basel, which hosted almost 300 contacts of innovators, entrepreneurs, founders, investors and generally dope Black people who were there to share resources, information and a great time! Still, I found a lot more information than I even know to look for. I also got to see:

• The Earn Your Leisure crew, who hosted DJ Khaled, Shyne and others in topics related to business ventures (ghost kitchens and digital real estate), bitcoin and it’s place in politics/ government and the hip hop culture and how it’s influence in the crypto space can be HUGE

• Musical artists like Busta Rhymes, Cardi B, Ferdinand James, Noriega, Masego and more (see more in-depth coverage of ArtBasel by subscribing to my PAID channel: https://msacaciatravels.substack.com/holidayspecial)

It was an opportunity to network with industry professionals, new potential jobs, other creators and more. I am still reeling from all the people I met and count on staying in touch with so many people from the weekend! Some things that did NOT change include local avenues for support:

• Local tours (TapTap tours)- different areas of vibrant, diverse culture and history

  

• Art and community engagement via the Roots Black House

  

• As always, we recognize the original stewards of the land we are on, and acknowledge, value and support the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians

  

Want to See More?

We are excited to see how people x tech x culture converged on this one event, and even more excited for what’s to come in the New Year, with our plans for continued community engagement via our local culture-based tours AND plan for curated travel groups and retreats next year. Stay tuned for more!

To get more insights into what the whole experience was like, join the PAID subscription to get videos, photos and live Q & A around ms. acacia’s Art Basel experience here: https://msacaciatravels.substack.com/holidayspecial

We have been busy exploring different parts of the country, including Lenape territory (popularly referred to as New York) and Seminole/ Miccosuke territory. How do we know that? Check out this NativeMap app, which lets you know what native land you are on:

As we approach the New Year, we continue to highlight local, small businesses through Cyber Monday and beyond. We always want to support with our attention, awareness and DoLLaR$, so please remember to uplift local, indigenous, Black and PoC businesses for your holiday gifts and experiences.

Think of us as you look for ways to spend time with each other and consider our local tours, which are on SALE for Cyber Monday (until this Friday, 12/3). Book now and get 10% back!

Click here for more information and to sign up!

How have you lovelies been with all the things feeling like they’re always going on? It’s been a few weeks since the last newsletter because Ya Girl is TIRED!!! With a mix of the COVIDs, the fires, the hurricane, the oppression and more, sometimes it feels like the best thing we can do to survive is to stay focused on surviving. Still, we have to remember that there are MANY realities, and when and where we can- let’s keep our belief in brighter times ALIVE and be sure to support our local loved ones and family members when we can! In this week’s short note, we focus on:

• Sustainable Tourism= even in the face of COVID? (and yes- especially NOW!!!)

• Ways to Support Local Tourism (including our next Taco Tour 9/11, our Black Foodie Tour and upcoming Chinatown tours)

• Any and all referrals for employment: local tour guides, marketing/ sponsorship coordinators, operations assistants

Is Sustainable Travel/ Tourism a Thing During COVID-19?

And…um, yes, it is ALWAYS a thing- especially during COVID-19. If you have been paying attention to a lot of what’s happening in the world right now, we are in the midst of environmental, ecological and sociocultural chaos, so is right now REALLY a good time to be travelling? In many places, it’s summer/ fall right now, and this is usually the best time to travel because:

• temperatures are becoming more bareable

• prices are lower since we’re now entering the “off-season”

• even though school just started, better for vacay now than in a few months, when we enter the holiday season

Still, we continue to ask you to reflect on your own NEED, (or is it) to travel, and “get away,” and ask that you consider when and how our ideas of relaxation came to include the further disenfranchisement of local populations globally. NO you did NOT build the all-inclusive resort that displaced local populations from their own land, but YES you are definitely supporting the corporations who did, and by default, are supporting displacement.

Is there any in-between? and yes, definitely! We can still travel and enjoy ourselves with doing the least amount of damage. Some of the ways include supporting LOCAL TRAVEL and TOURISM, and insodoing, supporting local businesses that do NOT include extractive forms of “exploration” or “relaxation.” If we listen to the Earth, with the recent hurricanes, flooding and weather changes, the Earth is telling us to SIT DOWN! It’s the time of seasonal transition, so let’s listen!

Updates with Ethnic Ties

Phew fam, ya girl is activated!!! Recently, we have seen a lot of changes, including:

• Our CEO, Acacia, accepting a full-time job for the first time in TWO years

• Acacia continuing to work as an adjunct professor with California College of the Arts (in the Writing and Critical Ethnic Studies programs)

• AirBNB options for our tours, so we can have them all in the same place

• We are HIRING for: local tour guides, marketing/ sponsorship coordinators, operations assistants because we KNOW it takes community to make things happen!

• We are still hosting our Taco Tours (next one September 11) and now have our Black Foodie Tours available starting September 18 (see below)

As always, we welcome feedback, collaborations and debates- we don’t all have to have the same opinions. Check us out for more engaging interactions, including upcoming IG Lives on our Instagram page here.

Travel fam, we have been collectively in challenging and transitional times, so thanks for your patience while we took a break to maintain sanity. Lately, the travel scene has been CRAZY with the tendency of cancelled flights, stranded passengers, COVID-related arrests (from fraudulently claiming passengers have vaccinations when they don’t). So, this

• sponsorship from square for local, ed-based Oakland tours

• private, pod=only group tours

• supporting local, indigenous groups in travel

Tips on Being a Conscious Traveler in Times Like These

Some ways to be a conscious traveler at this time, I suggest a few tips:

• Decide if you REALLY need to travel- like is this life or death (you can define that however you like )

  If you really have to travel internationally or far, prioritize working with Indigenous, Black and People of Color-owned airlines, tours, lodging, restaurants, activities, shops and all other things you might engage in while traveling- think it' doesn’t exist? See below

• If you don’t really have to travel internationally or far, support local tourism initiatives (with a priority for IBPoC vendors

Iskwew Air (pronounced ISS-KWAY-YO) recently announced that it will begin operating non-stop scheduled service between Qualicum Beach Airport and Vancouver International Airport as early as next week.

Support Indigenous-led Tours

Support Local, Culture-Based Tours in Your Backyard!

While we really love to welcome you all to our local tours, we have to be responsible with the rise of the COVID variations and want to make sure that our communities are comfortable and safe. Therefore we are switching our model to welcome in smaller, private groups rather than the original 15 participants we originally welcomed.

We are in search of any work groups, interest-based groups, travelers, friends, family members or small pods who are in search of brief, fun ways to interact with the local community with loved ones with low risk. Our tours fully observe all COVID protocols, and are lucky since we are mostly outside and walking.

To learn more information and to sign up, click here and remember to follow our social media for more coverage on our tours and what our organization is all about.

Ethnic Ties family, it's been a while, and as we were getting ready for the upcoming cultural and local tours we love, we need to be realistic about what's going on right now. We we so excited to host the next tour this Saturday, August 12th, however are concerned about the growing risk of the COVID Delta variant. Before moving forward with it, we want to check in with you and see- would you join? Do you think we should still have it?

We have been so elated to to host a number of very successful “Un-Cinco de Mayo Fruitvale/ Taco Walking Tours” since the inaugural event on May 8th. The last tour was a ton of fun, so we were so glad to welcome another intimate crew of 15 guests to peruse the heart of Fruitvale, this time including local influencers and visitors bureau representatives.

As a matter of fact, we also have the next "Black Oakland Tour" scheduled for August 21, but SHOULD WE CONTINUE WITH THE TOURS AT A TIME LIKE THIS? Of course we prioritize the safety and health of all of our beloved participants so instill all of the safety measures in our tours, but is that enough?

Check out our promo video here

Given the unprecedented effect that COVID-19 has had on so many community members and businesses alike, we were so honored to host our small group, and made sure to respect COVID protocols when applicable on our outside journey.

However we are at a pivotal point in our business and want to hear from you! Please reach out to Acacia at acacia@ethnicties.org

Leave a comment

We have been so overwhelmed by the support of local agencies like Visit Oakland, the Unity Council and our beloved small businesses. We knew we made it to ABC 7 News, but we didn’t realize that we had also made the SF Chronicle, which is the way some of our guests found us!

We are happy to continue providing the space for you to venture out in safe, comfortable ways that speak to your need to socialize in a way that also supports local small businesses monthly. It’s a win-win and we appreciate the love and support you all have shown us. Please be sure to share with visiting friends, loved ones or with your local crew.

Sign up here and please reach out with any questions! Also feel free to follow our social media at https://www.instagram.com/ms.acaciatravels/

First and foremost, we pay homage and respect to the elders who have come before us, and for those who are now our guiding lights as ancestors. Rest in peace, Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask

-Haunani-Kay Trask, may her beautiful soul rest in peace

Travelfam, we have swung swiftly into Summer, and so travel is ramping back up, with COVID protocols shifting in various parts of the country and the travel season in its height. As a part-time travel agent with Ethnic Ties Travels, I have seen an increase in requests to head to tropical locations like Puerto Rico, Hawaii and more. Let me tell you, as someone who JUST traveled to Jamaica (though it was very misaligned and if I could take it back I would), I understand wanting to bask in the sun amidst tropical rainforests and to just breathe and live.

However, our considerations for travel must extend beyond our own personal satisfaction to awareness of the impact we have on our local surroundings: physically, socioculturally, politically, economically, environmentally and more.

I’m not going to lie- COVID-19 has been tough on our small travel agency. So when people started reaching out to ask for support in traveling to beautiful destinations like Hawai’i, I was super excited! But then, I started to look into what is happening with travel there and just couldn’t continue supporting people in traveling there, and now ask that you, too, be an advocate for ethical travel. I recently learned that, of the people who live here, Hawaiians are about 30% of the population, and there are about 30 tourists for every native person. I also learned that, as of July 2, due to drought, native Hawaiians will be restricted from “non-essential” water usage, like California was a few years ago.

How does this relate to travelers/ tourists?

As visitors, and especially those who plan at staying at resorts or large hotel chains, the restriction does not necessarily apply, and such multi-national corporations have ease in access and even a privilege in access to water. On top of the that, the struggle for self-determination between imperialist powers and native Hawaiians continues while visitors can turn a blind eye and enjoy an extractive experience. I know we can do better.

So the question remains: can BIPOC travelers be “ugly Americans?”

And my answer: absolutely. NOT taking the time to check out what is happening locally in terms of politics, sociocultural realities, the economy, environment and more is simply ignorant no matter what identity spectrum one claims. Yes, here in the United States, people of color have historically been regarded and treated as second-class citizens. Still, in the global political economy American citizenship and the rights and privileges given extends so much access that the rest of the world does not get to enjoy so freely. Things like*:

• fast/ functional wifi

• utility resources like hot/ running water, electricity

• paved roads nationally (connecting rural to urban centers)

• extensive sewage systems/ waste management

*this is NOT to suggest that these resources are readily or even consistently available in all parts of the country, nor to all residents- let’s remember Flint, Michigan and the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orlean’s most Black wards

So I ask that we continue to focus more on LOCAL TOURISM AND TRAVEL so that we are supporting microeconomies, knowing that our consumer spending prioritizes local, Mom-and Pops businesses that actually depend on our support. When we can shift our perspective to using travel as a form of “freedom", to one of proximity, closeness and support of local environments, people and sustainable structures, then we can enjoy the fruits of our labor and avoid extractive tourism.

What am I doing about it?

• Not supporting travels to certain destinations: I have made a decision to act in alignment with my beliefs, so Ethnic Ties will NOT be supporting travel to Hawai’i, Cuba, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Haiti, India, Palestine or any countries that are currently or even recently facing civil or economic unrest. There is so much more to it, so please stay tuned and catch our IG live this Thursday @ 12pm PST on my personal handle @ms.acacia travels.

• Continuing to work in local tourism to highlight:

• Our Latino, Black and Asian (coming soon- save the date- August 21) neighborhoods in Oakland, CA

  

  

  Stay tunes for more developments and please reach out if you are interested in supporting our local efforts with:

• Sponsorships (from your job or interest-based groups)

• Group/ private bookings

• Donations

• Referrals to natives of Oakland interested in leading tours (paid training available)

Travel fam, would you believe it if I told you I went to Jamaica and DIDN’T love it? Not because of the locals- but because of the general situation and complexities around being a Black/ Asian- American and traveling during COVID. The circumstances around traveling were already questionable, even more harrowing was the fact that COVID in Jamaica looks very different than it does here in California. Whereas the Golden State just opened up on June 15, Jamaica’s efforts to maintain the virus included a curfew and many local shops still have not opened up, even after official notice for foreigners in Jamaica opened borders months ago and even last year.

While COVID still persists globally, I encourage everyone who is considering internationally travel to:

• consider how much of a NECESSITY travel is

• research the local areas, and how open/ closed society is

• if possible, support locals by lodging in AirBNBs or local Bed and Breakfasts rather than resorts

• research what local regulations may entail (curfew, local stipulations, etc.)

• support local, independent stores, tour guides and businesses that are NOT part of a larger, corporate entity

The experience in Jamaica was different than my previous trip there or to many other international destinations I’ve experienced, specifically because I hadn’t been to a resort-style hotel since I was 17 years old, and during my first solo international trip to the Bahamas. I can’t say that I enjoyed that part of the trip, specifically because as a guest, I was participating in a global economy of economic enslavement of those from the global South. The only interaction you get with locals is when they are serving you, and in second-class roles. After leaving the resort, I was able to connect with a local who took me to some local areas and that’s when the real adventure began.

That’s why I continue to advocate for supporting Local Tourism and the people who benefit from smaller scale support of micro and small businesses. Whether traveling globally or locally, I will continue to advocate for supporting local travel since it includes commercial support for local vendors, small businesses and the surrounding economy. This is another reminder that we have our next “Fruitvale/ Taco Walking Tour” this Saturday, July 10 from 12-2pm.

Find the link here to sign up for this weekend’s tour, and remember to bring your loved ones, family members and friends! Check out our IG for more regular updates with Ms. Acacias travels.