Airbnb and IGLTA reveal new travel trends among the LGBTQ+ community

During the 40th Annual Global Convention of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Airbnb presented the results of a survey commissioned to the IGLTA Foundation that identify new travel trends among the LGBTQ+ community¹ including accommodation preferences and inclusive destinations.

The survey identified the following trends:

• More than 90% of the respondents traveled during the last year, with close to 6% spending more than 2,000 USD on travel.
• More than 60% of respondents are planning to travel more than twice during 2024.
• 30% select their destination based on affordability; 30% consider safety a priority, and 35% said they prefer destinations where they can feel accepted as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“The findings of this survey highlight the profound impact that inclusivity has on the LGBTQ+ travel experience. Feeling safe, accepted, and valued as members of the community is of utmost importance for LGBTQ+ travelers,” said John Tanzella, President/CEO IGLTA. “Destinations that prioritize inclusivity not only create positive experiences, but also benefit from the significant economic contributions of our community.”

Regarding the preference for Airbnb, key finding from the survey include:

• Nearly 80% of the LGBTQ+ travelers said they have stayed in an Airbnb listing in the last year.
• More than 40% said they select Airbnb to be able to stay outside a tourist area and have a local experience. A further 40% said they choose to stay in an Airbnb listing for the different amenities they provide, while almost 20% said they use this option to have more privacy and feel more welcome. 
• For more than 50% of the respondents, Airbnb has allowed them to travel to destinations they never considered visiting before and more than 50%² said Airbnb listings are reducing the risk of being discriminated against.

After Europe, Latin American is the second favorite destination the LGBTQ+ community is most excited to travel to. The research explored the preferred destinations in this region:

• The top countries that the LGBTQ+ community would like to visit next year include Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
• The top cities the LGBTQ+ community would like to visit are Rio de Janeiro in Brasil, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City in Mexico, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia are the top cities.

These destinations also were considered as the most inclusive for the IGLTQ+ community.

Airbnb is committed to fostering connection and belonging. Over the last several years, Airbnb has implemented a number of programs and policies to build inclusion and fight discrimination. This includes instituting the Airbnb Community Commitment, requiring everyone who uses Airbnb to agree to treat each other with respect and without judgment or bias. All prospective Hosts and guests must agree to the Community Commitment and to follow our Nondiscrimination Policy in order to join our community. To date, more than 2.5 million people have been denied access to, or removed from the Airbnb platform for declining to agree to the Community Commitment. 

During his participation in the IGLTA Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carlos Olivos, Head of Corporate Communications for Airbnb Latin America said: “It is thanks to the Airbnb community that has embraced inclusion and is welcoming guests with open arms that a positive change for the LGBTQ+ community is being made in all the cities and towns where Airbnb is present, and we expect it expands to the rest of the communities.” Last June, Airbnb reported a growth of approximately 90 percent, of the total number of Hosts using LGBTQ+ inclusive language on their profiles globally³.

Airbnb has partnered with IGLTA for the last five years working to empower LGBT+ welcoming travel businesses globally through leadership, research and education. Airbnb has sponsored the IGLTA Fellowship program that supports LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. In Latin America, Airbnb has worked with LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce in Argentina, the National Commerce and Tourism LGBTQ+ Association in Mexico, and IGLTA in Brazil to teach inclusive concepts to the Airbnb Host community. “We are committed to making travel more inclusive and will continue working with our Hosts and partners to help drive inclusion around the world”, concluded Olivos.