The Garifuna Experience Podcast
Dive into the heart of New York City's vibrant Garifuna community, the largest diaspora outside of Central America. This podcast amplifies authentic Garifuna voices, explores their rich history, and navigates contemporary issues, all while showcasing how Garifunas are driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in NYC and the Diaspora.
Perfect for cultural enthusiasts, curious locals, and travelers seeking an authentic NYC experience.
The Garifuna Experience Podcast
Episode 8: NYC Cultural/Creative Industries and the Travel Trade
NYC isn't just a destination; it's a living, breathing tapestry of cultures. On this episode of "The Garifuna Experience in NYC Podcast," host José Francisco Ávila reveals how the vibrant Garifuna community is stepping up to become a powerful force in the city's tourism industry. 🏙️
We'll unpack the four key components of the travel trade—attractions, amenities, marketing, and destination management—and show how the Garifuna culture, with its rich heritage, dynamic businesses, and exciting events, is perfectly positioned to attract visitors and create a sustainable, prosperous future. 💃 Explore our unique tourism assets, from the annual Garifuna Heritage Month to local businesses like JRC Garifuna Collections, and discover how we are driving prosperity, power, and progress for our community and for New York City.
Join us to learn how tourism can be a tool for economic development and a celebration of our unique identity.
Resources:
The Garífuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
The Garifuna Experience in NYC
The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour
Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (BronxNet Video)
Lou Ramos Cruise Planners Travel Agent
Books by José Francisco Ávila
Garífuna Ancestry: The DNA Quest to Decipher the Garifuna Distant Past
Jose Francisco Avila (00:04.558)
Music!
Jose Francisco Avila (00:11.864)
Welcome back to the Garifuna Experience Podcast. I'm your host, Jose Francisco Avila. In this episode, we are diving into a powerful topic, how the Garifuna community can become a driving force in New York City's tourism industry. We'll explore the key components of the travel trade and how our unique cultural assets can be a direct-to-consumer product.
that draws visitors and boosts our community's economy. Understanding the travel trade, a framework for Garifuna's success. Tourism is a complex ecosystem with several moving parts. Let's break down the four key components that will help us understand where the Garifuna community fits in and how we can thrive. Attractions. Every tourist journey
begins with an attraction. It's the why behind their visit. From iconic landmarks to unique experiences, attractions are the heart of a destination. For the Garifuna community, our attractions are not just places, but our traditions, our history, and our vibrant celebrations.
Our community's heritage is a unique and authentic cultural draw that can't be replicated anywhere else. We have attractions that can make or break a destination by offering an experience that is both engaging and unforgettable. Amenities. Once a tourist arrives, they need facilities and services that make their trip comfortable.
These are the amenities, dining, performing arts, music, visual arts, and more. For the Garifuna community, this is where we shine. Our culture is rich with traditions that are ready to be shared. A diverse culinary scene with traditional dances, music, and art. These are the services that elevate a tourist experience.
Jose Francisco Avila (02:36.535)
transforming a simple visit into a deep cultural immersion. Marketing and promotion awareness. A fantastic product is only effective if people know about it. That's where marketing and promotion come in. We need to strategically position our community's offering in a highly competitive market.
By targeting the right visitors, we can bring more people to non-traditional tourism corridors and address seasonality challenges. With assets like our New York Tourism Plus Convention membership and our website, www.garifunexperience.com, we are already building the foundation to stand out and attract
the visitors we want. Destination management. Bringing it all together is the job of destination management. This is the ongoing process of planning for the future, ensuring that tourism is sustainable and benefits our community. It's about bringing stakeholders together to achieve a common goal.
This requires inclusive engagement with the Garifuna community to respectfully incorporate our unique culture and protocols. By doing so, we create authentic, high-quality visited experiences and build a strong brand identity for our destination. Tourism can be a powerful tool for economic development.
attracting not just visitors, but also new businesses and residents. Garifuna owned tourism assets in New York. We have a wealth of assets that are ready for the travel trade. Let's highlight some of the incredible Garifuna businesses and attractions that are already making an impact. Yours truly is a New York licensed sightseeing guide.
Jose Francisco Avila (04:56.031)
and a member of the New York Tourism Plus Convention and the Guides Association of New York City, Association of Professional Licensed Tour Guides. Garifuna Tourism Business Assets. The Garifuna Experience in NYC, our own platform for cultural immersion. www.carifunaexperience.com
The Garifuna Experience Podcast, our marketing and promotion channel. JRC Garifuna Collections, sells clothing with Garifuna themed logos. Lou Ramos, cruise planners travel agent, a gateway to travel for our community and beyond. Mirtha's Beauty Salon, a professional service that adds to the vibrancy of our local economy.
The Garifuna Market. This is a community-based shop and platform dedicated to sharing and celebrating Garifuna culture with a strong social media presence on Instagram. Casa Yurumein. This organization serves as a Garifuna community center, providing various services to strengthen the community's social, political, economic, and cultural standing.
Garifuna Tourism Attraction Assets. Garifuna Heritage Month, March 11 to April 12, a month-long celebration of our culture and history. Supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs 2025 Cultural Development Fund Grant in partnership with the City Council.
The Happy land Memorial Walk-in Tour, a travel trade direct to consumer tourism product recognized as one of the historic district councils 2023 6 to Celebrate awardees, members of the Guides Association of New York City, GANIC, annual Central American Parade and Cultural Festival, a large scale event
Jose Francisco Avila (07:24.631)
that showcases the diversity of Central American cultures, including our own Garifuna culture. Traditional Garifuna fedu, a cultural tradition that can be shared with visitors. Traditional Pororo, another unique tradition that offers an authentic experience. These assets are the building blocks of a thriving Garifuna tourism economy.
By leveraging our rich culture and strategic partnerships, we can not only attract visitors, but also ensure that the economic benefits are shared directly within our community. And that wraps up another illuminating episode of the Garifuna Experience Podcast. Today, we journeyed into the strategic vision behind our community's role in the travel trade.
exploring its deep cultural roots, its vital significance, and how this powerful and poignant celebration truly showcases how Garifunas are driving prosperity, power, and progress in the heart of New York City. Thank you for listening and remember the future of the Garifuna people is in our hands and we are driving power, prosperity, and progress. Until next time, stay united.
Stay Proud, Sungubei Lida Alba, Ayo! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, rate and review the Garifuna Experience Podcast, wherever you listen. Your support helps us to share this vital Garifuna Experience, our stories and our culture with even more people around the world.
Jose Francisco Avila (09:15.789)
Music!
