Ready to meet a real trailblazer? We’re highlighting Elaine Lee, a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by JourneyWoman, which honors individuals with a long-term impact on the travel industry. Read on for our interview with Elaine, where she shares her journey, inspirations, and vision for the future of travel.

About the Bessie Awards

The Bessie Awards celebrate the trailblazers, changemakers, and visionaries who are reshaping the travel industry for the better. Named in honor of Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license. These awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to empowering women and fostering inclusivity in travel.

About Elaine: Globetrotter, Author, and More

Elaine Lee is a globetrotter, travel journalist, and attorney who has dedicated her career to making travel more accessible and inspiring for Black women. She has visited 70 countries, completed two solo trips around the world, and authored the groundbreaking 1997 travel book ‘Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure‘, with its sequel, ‘Go Girl 2‘, launched in 2024. She also created one of the earliest Black travel websites, ugogurl.com, and has been a mentor and advocate for Black travel media professionals for over two decades.

How did you find your way into the travel industry?

A week before I was scheduled to leave for my first trip around the world in 1992, I was terrified at the thought of all the things that could go wrong. I had never heard of or met a black woman who traveled solo around the world, so I had no role model. But luckily, I had friends who shored me up and got me on the plane. Reminding me that they were my safety net and that money is a replenishable resource, time is not!

Upon completing a magnificent and magical sojourn around the world, I made it my mission to be sure other black women did not have to experience the paralyzing fear that she experienced when embarking upon international travel and to give them role models. So ultimately I came up with the idea of creating a travel book for black women. To achieve that goal, I found myself a mentor, joined a travel writers’ club, took travel writing classes, and read travel writing books.

I wrote a book proposal, got a book deal and in 1997 gave birth to my first book “Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure.” Subsequently, I included freelance travel writing, travel radio and travel TV to my repertoire. My travel articles and advice have appeared in numerous national and local magazines, and I have also contributed stories to eight anthologies. I have been featured on many local and national radio and TV shows. And also served as a keynote speaker, lecturer, and travel writing instructor at national travel conferences and educational institutions. I not only love to travel but love to encourage others to do the same. I am grateful and gleeful that I have been able to create this lifestyle for myself. Travel is the music of my soul.

What motivates you to do your work today?

During my first trip around the world, I was surprised at how few blacks I saw, and I wanted to change that. At that time (1992) there were no travel books or websites geared to the African American audience, and I decided to fill that gap. One of the things that motivated me then and motivates me now is my desire to inspire black people to travel the world. I want them to experience life free from racism. Most of us are not fully aware of the stress involved in being a person of African descent in the USA until it’s absent. Then it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders and your soul. In view of our well-known (and documented) shorter life span than whites, as well as our higher percentages of heart attacks, hypertension, obesity, and certain types of cancer.

I think it behooves us to look at ways to nurture our bodies, minds, and spirits. For me, international travel is a sure-fire way to do just that. It is so liberating and edifying. I also seek to encourage African Americans to visit Africa at least one time in their lives. After my first visit I realized that I got back part of my soul that I didn’t even know was missing.

Last but not least, I seek to inspire my single sistren to make the very best of their solitary status by creating the travel lifestyle of their dreams. I hear too many of them complaining about the man shortage. Life is too short, unpredictable and fleeting, to be crying in our beer when the world awaits us. Besides, it’s nothing like leaving the United States to lift a black woman’s self-esteem.

What is your proudest career accomplishment?

It has been an honor, privilege and delight to be nominated for an award from the largest women’s travel association in the USA, Wanderful! Additionally, I am tremendously proud to have created the first Black travel book of the modern era. I also created and hosted the SF/Bay Area’s first travel radio show and the first Black travel expo.

What does it mean to you to have the community nominate you for a Bessie award?

To have my groundbreaking body of work held up in praise and celebration is a dream come true. Bessie Coleman has always been the patron saint of my travel media career and to even be considered for a prestigious award bestowed in her honor is thrilling. Her fortitude and grit have served as an inspiration to me. She was bent, bound and determined to become a pilot. After being turned down by U.S.-based flying schools, she trained to become a manicurist. She worked in that profession to save enough money to go to France and attend a flying school there. I so admire her resolve and willpower.

What do you think are the most important issues facing the travel industry today?

Climate change (hurricanes/earthquakes/tornadoes), economic and political instability/uncertainty, managing overtourism in popular destinations, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity. More people are traveling to foreign countries and international landmarks just to take photos. They do this primarily to post on their social media platforms. The superficiality of this trend is very disheartening.

Who in the industry do you look to as inspiration?

Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a constant source of inspiration to me. She is not only an award-winning author of 6 books, photographer, filmmaker, and public speaker. She also maintains a successful family life. I have totally enjoyed and been wowed by the evolution of Samantha Brown’s travel media career from the Travel Channel to her own PBS specials.

What’s next for you in your career?

I want to continue to find new and exciting ways to share my love of travel and awaken the global heart.
One segment of the travel community that is most overlooked as well as the most financially able to travel is the elder community. I am hoping to expand my work into that community. I am currently exploring possibilities with Road Scholar, the largest elder travel organization in the world. Over 80,000 seniors take their trips each year. In view of my optimal health, fitness, and enthusiasm for travel, I am an ideal candidate to inspire other elders to claim their global citizenship.
I am also on a mission to awaken the global heart.

What do you envision for the future of the travel industry?

Fifty-one percent of Americans now have passports, up from 30% in 2008. I am hoping that the trend continues. I am also hoping that CVBs and hotels create more voluntourism opportunities for travelers. The Biden-Harris administration and former Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg took several important steps to protect airline passengers. Including requiring automatic refunds, cracking down on surprise fees, and expanding passenger rights. This also involves funding to improve, repair, and expand airports across America. Here is hoping those efforts do not become unraveled.

Elaine Lee’s career has been defined by her passion for travel and her commitment to empowering others. As a finalist for the Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement, her legacy continues to inspire future generations of travelers and storytellers.