Consumer Report: LGBTQ Travel

As Pride month winds down, LGBTQ travelers are a formidable force.

As a group, they have money to spend, and are an important part of the industry, but many in the LGBTQ community still struggle for acceptance in some countries.

Hannes Sasi Palsson and Eva Maria Lange own the travel agency Pink Iceland, based in Reykjavik. “I think LGBTQ people love traveling in Iceland,” Sasi Palsson said. “It feels safe, you’re celebrated. We hate the word tolerated. That’s not what we do here.”

Iceland invites LGBTQ tourists to enjoy its active volcanos, glaciers, Icelandic horses and thermal baths. There’s even a rainbow flag painted on a street in the capital.

The country is tapping into a lucrative travel segment, with an estimated $218 billion in spending power before the pandemic. The LGBTQ market is so large, there’s now an annual international conference dedicated to it, called Proud Experiences.

It was held this year in Los Angeles.

LGBTQ travelers typically also spend more than other groups. A city study shows they total about 8% of tourists in Los Angeles but make up about 20% of the overall spending.

L.A. laid out a rainbow-colored red carpet for the event, which brought together travel professionals from 40 countries.

Event Director Simon Mayle says it’s an opportunity to learn more about attracting LGBTQ travelers and avoiding simple mistakes that can alienate guests. He says, “The check-in experience, being questioned about double beds vs. single beds. They may have a welcome note addressed to Mr. and Mrs. or senor or senora.”

There are also nations that are explicitly anti-LGBTQ. Laws in 64 countries criminalize homosexuality. And in 11, the death penalty is possible.

“We saw this year that Uganda passed a law where it’s illegal to even identify as LGBTQ which is just shocking in our day and age,” Mayle said. But he adds the future is an even stronger community, with almost a third of millennials identifying as LGBTQ.