The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) Foundation has announced that the recipients of the 2023 LGBTQ+ Tourism Master’s scholarship are Burcu Durdu Kısakürek, owner of Unison Turkey Travel & Events, and Joan Alcántara, Marketing Coordinator with Axel Hotels.
The two longtime IGLTA members will participate in a master’s-level program at CETT, the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy at the University of Barcelona.
“I am so thrilled and grateful for being accepted to the LGBTQ+ master’s program, and I want to thank the IGLTA Foundation for this amazing opportunity. I have been actively working on the subjects of equality and inclusion in the tourism sector as a member of various associations and by completing this program, I am willing to take my ongoing work to a next level. Words cannot describe my excitement about this new venture,” said Burcu Durdu Kısakürek, owner of Unison Turkey Travel & Events.
“Receiving this IGLTA Foundation scholarship for the master’s degree program in LGBTQ+ tourism at CETT is a true honor and a step towards fulfilling my passion for advocating for diversity and inclusiveness for the LGTBIQ+ community also in the travel industry. I would like to thank Axel Hotels, a member of IGLTA, where I work in the marketing department and have absorbed its LGTBIQ+ DNA, for placing their trust in me,” said Joan Alcántara, Axel Hotels’ Marketing Coordinator.
The virtual one-year program in LGBTQ+ tourism helps prepare leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry to identify the challenges in their respective sectors related to the LGBTQ+ community and create innovative solutions for future development. Scholarship recipients join a unique international program, offered online in English at no cost. The scholarship program was created in 2021 with the generous support of IGLTA member Queer Destinations.
“We are thrilled to select Burcu and Joan for the CETT scholarship program. Both recipients have earned this opportunity through a demonstrated passion for LGBTQ+ travel and we look forward to following their progress as they continue to make a positive impact on the tourism industry,” said Eddie Canaday, Director, National Accounts, Mid-Atlantic Region, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, who recently served on the IGLTA Foundation board of directors and led the selection committee for the scholarships.