Hang Tran Minh (Ms) & Mayra Lopes, QUp World Inc. share their views on LGBT Tourism
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) tourism has gone from a niche business to a major player in the overall tourism business in the last decade. With ongoing changes in the global political and social climate, LGBT tourism is emerging as a hot topic in travel marketing circles. Overall, the LGBT community travels frequently, possessing a higher number of passports than the non-LGBT counterparts.
We have been witnessing a lot more destinations advertising and marketing to LGBT tourists — and the travel operators are doing better and better to serve the market as the business potential is so huge. Most LGBT tourists are just looking for a good, worry-free travel and seem to opt for more adventurous holidays. Thus, destination with a reputation for friendliness and open-minded ness goes a long way.
On May 5, 2017, the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association released their joint Second Global Report on LGBT Tourism. The report brings into discussion the relationship between the rights for LGBT people around the world and the increasing visibility of LGBT consumers.
The report is the only one of its kind, and has been written to point out how destination marketing, management and LGBT equality matter around the globe. This is a good choice for anyone who’s interested in the LGBT traveler and their impact on the global travel and tourism industry. It also gives extensive recommendations to destinations on how to start out with the LGBT segment, or refresh their approach.
The travel community is becoming more mainstream, but LGBT-oriented activities are still a priority
The crowd-sourced website Equaldex.com curates LGBT rights and news around the world, and 76crimes.com reports on the 76+ countries where homosexuality is still illegal. Even the U.S. State Department publishes a useful page with LGBT travel information.
The tourism industry’s focus on the bottom line has created spaces for LGBT perspectives to be pulled into the tourism industry. LGBT tourism is important because it helps build economies, educate communities and establish means of comfort and safety in exploration. Investing in pink travel is an investment in International equality. It’s about safety, it’s about comfort, and it’s about politics. But it’s also about gay-welcoming events, friendly accommodation, and having fun with travelers who share something similar.
High returns on investment are always the fundamental priority of decision-makers in the travel industry. Both public bureaus and private companies are continuing to target their main outreach to LGBT travellers because they have found out that their LGBT marketing yields positive economic benefits.
As a result of these economic benefits, the tourism global tourism industry itself has become more LGBT friendly over the years.
Safety – the number one concern for most LGBT travelers
Safety and comfort is somehow an important consideration of any LGBT travel. Thankfully, a lot of online resources can now be found out there to help LGBT tourists decide what or where might be safer for them to visit. For a more independent look at the LGBT rights and safety situation, Equaldex is a high-recommended destination.
Unlike other media and blogs, this is a crowd-sourced online platform where users can post and share country-specific news articles that are related to LGBT rights and travel tendency. This can be especially helpful for those less-familiar places and to get a general comparison of LGBT inclusiveness around the world.
Ground transportation service technology for LGBT travel is booming
The tech industry has been ahead of its time to pave the way for LGBT travel worldwide. A lot of ground technology solutions have been out in front to provide best-in-class cross-nation transportation service customized for LGBT community.
The Premium Chauffeur Drive Platform powered by QUp World is among of those. It is the leading global travel transportation network dedicated to connecting LGBT travelers GLOBALLY to Chauffeur Driven Services. All of that has helped bring LGBT tourism to this moment of development and prosperity.
There are still plenty of places around the globe where being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender isn’t safe, nor is it comfortable — for locals or for tourists. But that doesn’t mean traveling as an LGBT individual is always dangerous. It’s frequently just a matter of having to know where and when one can disclose one’s sexuality through words or actions, and also the dangers or consequences (if any) for doing so. This is something straight people or opposite-sex couples almost never have to think about.
A first of its kind, IBTM World‘s sister event, PROUD Experiences, brings together leaders from the travel & lifestyle sectors to develop business strategies, expand LGBTQ+ understanding and connect like-minded peers.
PROUD curates authentic, hyper-personalised travel & lifestyle experiences for the LGBTQ+ community, ensuring everyone has the right to #belongeverywhere.
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