Travel’s Tireless Fighter for Diversity and Inclusion
Photo Caption: Martinique Lewis in Oakland, California. Jen Siska
Skift Take
Martinique Lewis has created a brand for herself in diversity travel with The ABC Travel Green Book and the Diversity Travel Scorecard. As the industry confronts the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter global reckoning, Lewis is poised to help businesses become more inclusive and welcoming for all travelers.
At travel conferences held around the world, Martinique Lewis always makes sure to arrive early to secure her seat in the front row directly facing the powerful CEOs on the stage. Dressed to the nines in her signature hat, scarves and gloves, Lewis patiently waits for the question portion to stand up, introduce herself and ask the chief executives: What are you doing about diversity and inclusion in your company?
It’s a question she still asks because, she says, it’s her passion. It’s also the reason Lewis walked away from her lucrative career in fashion in 2017, using her savings to travel the world attending industry conferences after noticing something was lacking in the travel industry.
“This was what I really said made my heart beat at night and it was sharing the black narrative and making sure I advocated for travelers that looked like everybody and I was dedicated to it,” Lewis said.
That first year Lewis admits was tough, but she made it work using her exper
