Planning A Trip? The Best Gay Community Travel Tips For 2022
The travel market for the LGBTQ community is worth more than two hundred billion dollars globally. But in several parts of the world, tourists from the community have to go through some unique concerns regarding their security. More than sixty nations around the world view homosexuality as a criminal act. This includes famous tourist locations such as Singapore, Dubai, Egypt, Jamaica, and Barbados. Even in locations where such same-sex relationships are not illegal, the tourists can face violence, threats, and harassment from the local people. That is not what you want when you think about going on a vacation. But it is the global scenario presently. According to research by Community Marketing and Insights, more than sixty percent of the tourists from this community state that their security as a member of the community is a major concern while touring around globally. Nearly half of the transgender citizens of the nations said that they had felt a little threatened with verbal or physical abuse on a tour.
Right now, firms are increasingly looking to cater to the tourists from this community. There is also more awareness of the concerns of these tourists. The GeoSure app was launched nearly eight years ago and gave hyperlocal safety data for numerous locations all over the globe. The data ranges from the national level to the neighborhood level. The marks are given to each location based on the info from credible institutions such as the United Nations and the State Department. It has marks for women's safety, medical issues, theft, and physical harm. There is also a filter so that the people can see the locations that have been scored for the safety of the people from the community. This article will go through some similar gay community travel tips. It will help the members of this community tour safely in a new location, whether in the nation or around the globe.
Geo Sure CEO Michael Becker said, "We're not trying to dissuade people from traveling. We want people to travel all over the world. We just want them to do it in an informed, intelligent, and inspired way. We look at the regional, country, city, and neighborhood levels. We look at the religious and political environment, the customs and laws, crime stats [and] unstructured data, like local headlines. Observe the laws and respect local customs and cultures. Exercise discretion and comport yourself appropriately. If you're meeting someone for the first time, be discreet. It comes down to knowing your audience. Basically, don't make yourself a target. Be mindful of where you're going at night. Have your antenna up—don't meet in a sketchy area, and don't accept strange drinks."
The Top Gay Community Travel Tips
1. Review the Location
This is one of the top gay community travel tips. Before a place is even booked for the trip, you must research the location and the scenario there with regard to people from the community. Has homosexuality been criminalized there? Maybe the people from the community are looked down upon? Will the reception of the hotel hesitate if you and your partner need a single bed? Finally, it is your decision whether you want to go on a tour where the community is marginalized or discriminated against. But the trip should be an informed one. The LGBTQ travel page of the State Department is a good place to start. You will be able to find detailed data regarding nations and cities on online sites such as Spartacus and Out Traveler. It may not look right to you. But simple signs of affection, just as holding hands or kissing, can be troublesome or even dangerous in various places around the globe. You may feel like you are taking a side and a stand on this one. But you will be at a great disadvantage as an outsider.
In the United States of America, the administration cannot legally ask transgender tourists to remove any binders or prosthetics. But that is usually not the case everywhere else around the globe. In several nations, bringing in sexually explicit items, sometimes even condoms, can be taken as signs of sex work. You may be taking a trip with your spouse. Then, you may want to get some proof of your relationship status. It may become tough to convey your marital rights if you get in trouble with the administration or any one of you requires medical attention.
2. Support LGBT-Friendly Services
This is another one of the best gay community travel tips. An increasing number of resorts, restaurants, and hotels do not just welcome guests from the community, but they actively seek them out. There are chains such as Preferred Hotels, Hilton, and Marriott that have microsites directed toward gay tourists. TAG and IGLTA accredit locations that meet specific needs. This includes training staff on these issues and having non-discriminatory policies. Another good method to meet locals is home-sharing. But you do not want to risk if your Airbnb host is a supporter of such issues or not. Firms such as EBAB focus on giving accommodations to people from this community. Also, the hosts can have an impact on how to tour around the city while being gay. Matthieu Jost created his service after he and his partner were turned down by a homophobic renter in Spain.
The website gives listings from more than one hundred and thirty locations, although not all are friendly towards gays. It also seeks to safeguard both the hosts and the tourists. In areas with high discrimination, the hosts can keep their profile photos private also. You may be booking a cruise or a package tour. Then, you should think about opting for an operator focused on the community. In this manner, you will be able to show your support for your allies. But the operator will also treat you with respect, make your connections with other members of the community, and know about the overall local landscape. A gay cruise trip also means that you will be in the majority for the first time in your life. Some of the best operators in this space include Vacaya, Detours, Out Adventures, and others.
Jost said, "In Russia, we found our hosts are very eager to welcome gay travelers. It's a way for them to connect with their community when they normally can't." Vacaya CEO Randle Roper said, "Every LGBTQ person has a different level of comfortability in their outness. We see some travelers dial it down while others amplify it. At Vacaya, we try to create an atmosphere where people are free to be exactly who they are. That single change from being an always-minority to a sudden-majority can have a profoundly positive real-world effect."
3. Be Smart When Navigating the Area
Taking trips involves contacting strangers. This includes both locals and fellow tourists. So, people from the community are often placed in the awkward situation of finding out if and how they should come out. There is a lot of worry and uncertainty involved in each case. There is a lot of waiting to find out how the others might react. The issue is more of an annoyance for the members of the community than anything else. But people should decide on their own levels of comfort before deciding on anything to say or do. Adam Groffman, a gay blogger, said, "As a queer person, there's a certain community aspect to being queer. These apps just make it easier for us to connect whether it's online or even offline." Dani Heinrich, another gay writer, said, "Every time when you go on a sailing trip, or a guided walking tour, or a pub crawl — anywhere you meet people — there's always a question about a significant other, and at some point, you have to come out." Surely one of the best gay community travel tips around.
Conclusion
For members of the community that want to take a vacation, they have to deal with navigating various sets of restrictions and rules, threats of discrimination, and other concerns regarding their security. Also, the people who identify as members of this community may have other identities. This includes ethnicity, wealth, gender, and skin color. All of these factors affect the manner in which the members are treated as tourists. So, our gay community travel tips will help you navigate through all of these issues.
