talk about destinations LGBTQ+ It may sound like the last century to someone who is used to living in places where the diversity and integration of all communities is part of everyday life. But when planning the next trip, it is necessary to remember that, unfortunately, this welcome is still not the rule all over the world.
In about 70 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, homosexuality is considered a crime and can lead to arrests and even the death penalty.
“Not only that, LGBTQ+ communities are better accepted in some places than others. There are destinations where being an LGBTQ+ family or showing affection in public can be frowned upon or unsafe.” Simon Mayle director of Proud Experiences an event that will be held in New York, from June 27th to 29th, to give global visibility to the tourism industry and to experiences aimed at the LGBTQIA+ public.
Research carried out in 2021 by the platform Booking.com among LGBTQ+ travelers, pointed out that 53% had unwelcoming or uncomfortable experiences during their stay and 65% said they consider safety and well-being factors when choosing a destination.
“It’s no use having the most beautiful landscape or the best attractions if safety, receptivity, language adequacy and training of service providers are not worked on to receive this audience”, he reinforces. Alexandro Bernardes founder and director of LGBT+ Tourism Expo (former LGBT Tourism Forum in Brazil), which this year will be held on July 26 at the Fairmont hotel in Rio de Janeiro.
The city, which has always been on the list of the most sought after by this public, seems to be even higher after the pandemic. As well as other Brazilian destinations like Pipa (RN), Bonito (MS), Recife (PE) and Ceará.
Reversing the alert made in 2019 by the international guide GayCities which pointed to Brazil as a place not to be visited in the face of government statements and the alarming rates of violence.
“Governments and official tourism bodies in these places have been investing in training the trade to modernize the language, receptions and logistics. It’s not just a flag at establishments in pride month. These are actions that are part of the general scope of the promotion campaigns”, says Bernardes. “It was really cool to see this movement”, he adds.
In practice, this means, for example, always including a gay couple in advertisements, training teams to ask a trans client what they would like to be called, or not creating embarrassment when requesting a double bed for same-sex guests.
“With borders closed, we were forced to impose our presence and acceptance in the national market during the pandemic. And these markets understood the robustness of our consumption potential”, explains the director of Turismo Expo, happy to have, for the first time, a balance between national and international exhibitors at the event.
data of World Tourism Organization and the research company Community Market & Insights (CMI) specializing in the LGBTQ+ market, point out that the LGBT segment accounts for 10% of global travelers, with a growth rate of 11% per year, and spending 30% above the heterosexual audience.
In 2018, the consumption power of the LGBT+ public in the world was around US$ 3.6 trillion, according to a survey carried out by the LGBT Capital corporate advisory. An amount that may have reached around US$ 107 billion in Brazil alone.
Although the transversality of the public can point to different interests, ranging from ecotourism to religious, gastronomic or cultural tourism, beach places, with music festivals and LGBT Pride parades are attraction factors.
Let’s say São Paulo, where the main LGBTQ+ event in Latin America is held, the LGBT Pride Parade entitled to an honorable mention in the Guinness Book as “the biggest in the world”. This year the event is scheduled for June 19th.
Mexico City, Buenos Aires, New York, San Francisco and Madrid They are also included in the list of iconic cities, according to a recent survey presented by the Kayak website, for the greatness of their stops and for historically welcoming the community with empathy, affection and security.
In addition to these, Rio de Janeiro, Miami (USA), Sydney (Australia) and Ibiza (Spain) are at the top of the list of “hot spots” for the community.
But the Japanese city of Osaka, which has been working hard to attract this public, with special actions and packages, such as the Drag Queen Experience which includes a makeover experience, bar hopping (bar tour) and a private party with the presence of a local drag.
The city of Porto, in Portugal, also appears in the ranking, which is on the radar thanks to the first edition of the LGBT+ Music Festival . Scheduled for July 1st to 3rd, it already has confirmed presences from Melanie C (ex-Spice Girls), ludmilla and Gloria Groove in the lineup.
the island of Formenter in Spain, and the Greece are also touted as current destinations for all types of audiences. But knowingly welcoming to the entire LGBTQ+ community.
Service
LGBT Pride Parade
When: June 19 at 2 pm
Where: Avenida Paulista – São Paulo
http://paradasp.org.br/
LGBT+ Tourism Expo
When: June 26
Where: Fairmont Rio de Janeiro
https://www.lgbtmaisturismoexpo.com.br/
Proud Experiences
When: June 27th to 29th
Where: Brooklyn Bridge Hotel – New York
https://www.proudexperiences.com/
LGBT+ Music Festival
When: 1st to 3rd of July
Where: Porto, Portugal
https://lgbtmusicfestival.com/pt
Drag Queen Experience
https://visitgayosaka.com/
Source: CNN Brasil
