Majority of LGBT travellers wouldn’t visit a destination where it’s illegal to be gay
By Will Stroude
The results of Attitude and LGBT-friendly travel service OutOfOffice.com‘s annual Travel Survey are in, and they’ve revealed some interesting facts about the habits and priorities of LGBT travelers.
The survey of over 900 people found that 61% of LGBT travellers would not not visit a destination where homosexuality is illegal.
However, 60% of travellers admitted that they did not want to restrict themselves to LGBT-friendly destinations only, and wanted to remain free to travel to any destination.
The majority of respondents (52%) travelled in a couple, whilst 21% travelled solo.
Paris was the most popular city people expected to visit in the next 12 months, with Barcelona and Amsterdam next on the list. Internationally, New York was the most visited destination among LBGT travellers, with Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and Thailand next.
The majority of respondents (82%) said they opt for a beach holiday or one which involves culture, history and heritage (82%) – with 58% saying they like their trip to involve nightlife and clubbing.
Commenting on the findings, founder of OutOfOffice.com Darren Burn said: “It’s clear that there is still a lot of trepidation when it comes to choosing where to travel as an LGBT individual. Whilst there are parts of the world where it’s dangerous to be LGBT, there are also parts of the world that outlaw homosexuality but that with the proper advice it is still safe to travel to such as India and the Maldives.”
“The law is developing all the time and it’s important that LGBT travellers seek expert advice before travelling to certain destinations,” Burn added. “I set up OutOfOffice.com in order to help provide up-to-date information and to build complex itineraries for the LGBT community. We’re always happy to offer advice free of charge too for anyone who has concerns.”
Homosexuality remains a criminal offence in over 70 countries worldwide, largely in Africa, the Middle East and the Carribbean. In Nigeria, Mauritania Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, same-sex sexual activity carries the death penalty.
For more information visit outofoffice.com.
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