Black Travel Maine Is Where Legacy, Leisure and the Slopes Converge

Maine is not on many avid Black travelers wish lists. Unless you have a knack for the outdoors and winter sports/activities, it’s probably not a state that comes to mind to travel for personal pleasure. Taking things a step further, when people think of Maine, a robust Black social scene and community doesn’t necessarily come to mind. Black Travel Maine (BTM), founded by serial entrepreneur Lisa Jones, is challenging that landscape.

Jones first moved to Maine after visiting during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the rest of the country, sans Florida and Atlanta, were on tight restrictions, Maine was an open state. At the time, she was living and working in Harlem. A friend of hers was living in Maine and told her to visit. Jones took up her friend’s offer and never moved back to New York. She was instantly drawn in because of the warm welcome she received. Moreso, she was stunned at the extensive and oftentimes overlooked and unknown Black history in Maine. Thus, BTM was born.

Through BTM, Jones curates cultural travel experiences. Her itineraries are a mixture of fun and frolic, showcasing the state’s unique offerings, while also bringing Black history and Black life in Maine to the forefront. Through walking tours, history lessons, culinary treats, and more, each group gets something different from their bookings.I first became aware of BTM after I was invited on a sailing excursion last August.

I was immediately impressed by Jones, and how receptive the community was to her. When the chance to participate in another BTM experience, this time a ski weekend excursion in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I couldn’t resist. Skiing isn’t necessarily my thing, but getting together with like-minded travel junkies ready to try a new experience is, and I knew Jones’ itinerary would have everything I needed and beyond.

BTM gives local Black Mainers a safe space

Skiing took place over a full day at the popular Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine, with 884 acres to take to task. Guests were treated to a group lesson before we were allowed to venture on our own. Some chose skiing, others chose snowboarding, while some opted for relaxation at the luxurious resort. There was something for everyone to partake in. 

After a long day, we headed back to our hotels, with the group split between the Francis Hotel and Longfellow Hotel in Portland, Maine. The full weekend was equipped with delicious meals, happy hour sessions, Black history tours, and visiting local Black businesses. Speaking with some of the other guests, several of whom were locals, shows the need that BTM is meeting.

Maine is known as the “whitest state in America.” In recent years, there’s been a diversity boom, thanks to government programs such as the H-2B program, which allows international employees to work on a seasonal basis. Others migrate to Maine for other professional opportunities in education and corporate America. Aaron White, 38, moved for the latter.

Originally from Vauxhall, New Jersey, White has been living in Maine for the past two years, moving for work as an HR rep with Colgate. His first introduction to BTM was on social media, which is not uncommon as Jones has managed to expand her business and attract travelers primarily through her use of platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Jones and White also attend the same church, Green Memorial AME Zion Church in Portland.

White attended his first Maine social event in the Spring of 2025 that I attended, and later a hike for locals in the fall of that year. Skiing is common in Maine, so after taking a ski lesson last year, he wanted to hit the slopes again, meet some new faces, and felt a BTM event was the perfect way to do so. 

White says Jones has proven to be a standout at what she does. “She definitely is making a name for herself, and I will say it's super impressive in the way that she builds connections with legislators and with leaders in Maine of all races of all walks of life,” he said. 

“She's permeating through Black Travel Maine, but through herself all throughout the community and all throughout the state. She’s bringing awareness and giving visibility to Black people in Maine, to people of color in Maine, to the underrepresented, including Black women in general. It’s getting notoriety. And people are taking notice that Maine doesn't look just one way. And there's a lot more to offer than meets the eye here. I'm proud of her.”

BTM has big allies

Making waves in a town like Maine takes guts. Jones clearly has big ones. And she has a lot of people on her side who are committed to expanding the state’s diversity efforts, including Portland’s Mayor, Mark Dion, who spoke proudly of BTM at the weekend’s welcome reception at the Allagash Brewing Company. “This is what Maine is all about! Diversity and inclusion,” Dixon said, referencing BTM’s presence.

Another major ally is Kenneth Lewis Jr., Senior Pastor of the Green Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, where he has led a congregation for the past 23 years. Lewis Jr.’s church is the oldest ongoing African American institution in the state of Maine. It wasn’t a difficult transition migrating from the suburbs of Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters. But the impact has been widespread.

Of course, he met Jones when she became a member of his Church. They talked about what she was doing with BTM, and he was immediately sold. “I believed in the mission, but I also believed in the history of this state,” he says firmly. “When I came here, the first thing I did was immerse myself in the history of the state, and given that I have congregants who have been 5, 6, 7, 8 generations in Maine (including his oldest congregant who is 96), I understood Jones’ efforts.”

He says his engagement with Jones and BTM was natural. Outside of his work with BTM, he’s a gubernatorial appointment on a commission that deals with similar issues in the state. 

Lewis Jr. says Jones has helped to expand visibility of Black life and the overall quality of life in Maine in grand ways. “I think the four seasonality of the state is tremendous, and I do think that Greater Portland has been the destination for immigrant populations as well as transplanted African Americans,” he explained. “We have the Indigo Arts Alliance, who have ties to the African diaspora globally. This is a big, small town. And I think Maine has that attraction where the community is strong, where opportunity exists if you can find it and if you can navigate it. And BTM is doing a great job of showing such.”

Jones has also helped boost local hospitality thanks to the work she’s doing with BTM. Tony DeLois owns both hosts hotels for the weekend, the Longfellow and the Francis. He’s a 4th generation Mainer who has a resume in the hospitality industry, primarily restaurants before transitioning to hotels, that expands from San Francisco to New York. 

He remodeled the Francis, originally a mansion built in 1881, into a boutique hotel while keeping much of its original character to still feel like home. For those looking for something charming, the Francis is the place to be. For those looking for a bit more luxury, the Longfellow, which is directly across the street, is the perfect getaway.

He first came into contact with BTM at a Portland City Council meeting where business owners were voting on whether to market the city like a tourism district and collect a fee from hotels to help fund such. Both he and Jones spoke in favor of it, explaining it could be a big deal for diversity and travel. Unfortunately, there were others against it, and there was hate speech against the Jewish community (which he is part of), and the Black community. It was there that he and Jones decided to join forces.

BTM utilizes both spaces for meet ups, events, and extended stay weekends for her guests. “We are also part of the local Portland tourism board; we buy into that. But there's really nobody doing anything like Lisa. And we want to be with her all the way,” DeLois explains. 

As for what he feels a state like Maine has to offer for travelers; he says it’s all about the speed. “Though we’re on the East Coast, it's a little bit slower up here. We feel like the pace just slows down,” DeLois asserts. “You can enjoy everything here in Portland, and in Maine, there's natural beauty, you can run into people, you can talk to people on the street, you can just take the extra time to enjoy the trip.”

There’s a reason BTM trips sell out

While skiing was the main attraction, attendees got much more out of their experience. Guests raved about everything from the conversation to the itinerary, but what they said stood out was the quality of people on the trip. Best friends Lashara and Ornella, both from D.C., booked the trip after seeing an ad on Instagram. They both loved skiing, but they enjoyed the overall camaraderie the weekend offered. 

“With a lot of Black Ski Weekend ads and experiences, it’s a lot of partying, and turning up. That’s not what BTM promoted. It was more of an elevated experience, which is why I wanted Ornella and I to book,” Lashara says. “The accommodations were fabulous. It gave Hallmark vibes,” she continued.

“The community built in one weekend is so refreshing,” Ornella says. “Meeting everyone, everyone was mingling and really open to chatting with one another. It was also one of the best itineraries I’ve ever been part of.”