Traveling Through Time: Reflections from the Meaningful Travel Roadshow in Miami

Greg Takehara planting a tree at Virginia Key Beach Park as part of the Tourism Cares 2014 event.

I have long been fascinated by time travel. As we age, revisiting places from our past can feel like stepping into a time machine – one that takes us through memories, milestones, and moments of change. Such was the case last month when Tourism Cares hosted the first stop of its 2025 Meaningful Travel Roadshow in Miami, Florida.  

This iconic city has brought many memories to my life, from days relaxing on the beach during spring break, to my time in travel insurance working with the cruise lines, to Tourism Cares’ 2014  event restoring Miami Marine Stadium and planting trees at the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. This time, I returned ready to achieve another milestone with Tourism Cares—one shaped with more purpose and impact. 

We kicked off the program with an evening reception for attendees in Bayside Marketplace, right on the banks of Biscayne Bay, with the city marina on one side and the vibrant flair of Latin music playing all around. Reconnections with old friends and colleagues, coupled with new, eager faces, gave me both a sense of comfort and a spark for the following day’s program.  

We hosted the education portion of our Roadshow program at the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in the historic Black neighborhood of Overtown. I could see evidence of gentrification all around – large cranes amidst a growing number of skyscrapers, likely condos, and I wondered aloud whether I was seeing another community forced out of its home.  But the mission to keep the neighborhood’s stories alive remains steadfast through the work of The Black Archives and one of its crown jewels, the Lyric Theater, serving as a physical reminder of the prosperity and resilience of Miami’s Black community. 

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in the Overtown neighborhood.

Time doesn’t stand still. But even amid rapid development, we found inspiring examples during the program of people shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for the city. Local changemakers spoke passionately about marine conservation, accessible tourism, and centering community voices in shaping Miami’s next chapter.  

As with the tradition of all Tourism Cares events, the story doesn’t stay inside the conference walls. In the afternoon, we ventured out into the Miami community to meet and connect with organizations that are shaping its cultural beauty and brilliant diversity. Led by local guides from Key2MIA, we toured Miami’s vibrant Little Havana/Calle Ocho district and visited Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, a once-segregated beach now recognized for its role in the Black community’s history. Returning there was powerful—it reminded me how recent and real that history still is. 

Roadshow attendees explore Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.

My group stopped at the Lil Greenhouse Grill to have a flop – a concoction of sweet tea and raspberry lemonade and listen to a local singer belt out some Al Green. Apparently, everyone in Miami has their favorite flop variation. That moment felt timeless, a blend of the old and new Overtown. Our closing reception was held at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Overtown, an outpost of his original Harlem restaurant, where Tourism Cares hosted a previous reception during its 2019 Inspiration Exchange at the Apollo Theatre, and I was back on my time machine for yet another throwback moment. 

Through all these experiences, I was reminded that even in a city as bright and fast-paced as Miami, there’s a deeper story beneath the surface—one filled with heritage, humanity, and hope. By engaging local communities through tourism, we don’t just travel through time; we create pathways for a more sustainable and equitable future. 

As my time machine continues to move forward and backward, I will carry with me the belief that each visit, each story, and each connection helps write a more meaningful chapter for Miami and for travel itself. I look forward to returning in 2036, hopefully to a city that has honored its past while embracing a better future. 

I invite you to help ensure more meaningful moments for this coastal city by engaging with a partner on the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map of Miami. Let us build a more sustainable community in Greater Miami – and beyond.