UNWTO reports that LGTBQI+ tourism involves over 35 million travelers annually and is subject to seasonal fluctuations. However, it experiences a growth rate of 10.3%, significantly higher than the 3.8% growth rate of conventional tourism.
As a result, destinations that are welcoming to the LGTBQI+ community aim to draw in these travelers due to their higher-than-average spending habits and less reliance on seasonal patterns. This allows goals to promote tourism all year round.
Madrid has been awarded the Travel Proud insignia by Booking, leading the list of LGTBQI+ friendly destinations in Europe. It has over 500 certified properties, making it the city with the most hotels with this distinction in the world. Milan and London follow closely behind with 468 and 465 certified properties, respectively.
Turespaña states that Spain is the most welcoming country for the LGTBQI+ community, offering an exceptional quality of life. They attribute this to various factors, including top-notch vacation destinations, exciting festivals, a rich cultural scene, excellent shopping options, gourmet cuisine, breathtaking landscapes, and high-end hotels and fashion.
On the other hand, Mabrian provides information on the most LGTBQI+ friendly destinations in Europe. They analyzed 55 million reviews from various travel portals, not just hotels, using AI-based natural language processing (NLP) techniques.
Unlike Booking, Mabrian’s analysis provides more general data about the destination, not just the most community-friendly hotels. In descending order, the top five LGTBQI+ friendly destinations are Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Paris. These cities have demonstrated exceptional quality of service and acceptance, making them highly desirable destinations for travelers from this community.
