Queers Are Leading the Way In the Travel Revival

Queer travelers around the world are ready to bust out of lockdown and hit the road. Feeling safe enough for travel, the majority of LGBTQ+ respondents to a recent global travel survey revealed plans to take a major vacation in 2021.

The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association conducted its 2021 LGBTQ+ Post Covid Travel Survey from March 26 to April 9, through the association’s global network. Conducted in four languages (English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese) the survey elicited responses from 6,324 LGBTQ-identified travelers around the world.

According to the IGLTA results,  the majority of respondents (73 percent) said they plan to take their next major vacation before the end of 2021. 

Domestic trips, hotel/resort stays, and short-haul flights are at the top of the activity list for the next 6 months. Pride events/LGBTQ+ festivals also ranked highly, underscoring the desire to reconnect within the community. But the respondents were still tepid about longer flights and bigger group activities.

Below we share some of the most important results.

57 percent of respondents identify as gay; 19 percent lesbian; 17 percent bisexual

70 percent of respondents are between the ages of 25 and 64

63 percent of respondents are men; 31 percent are women, 1 percent are transgender,

4 percent identify as nonbinary or preferred to self-describe

Nearly 75 percent of respondents indicated they were planning a significant vacation in 2021.

43 percent of respondents plan to attend a Pride or other LGBTQ+ event (but only a quarter are ready to travel with a group, and far fewer (13 percent) are ready to board a cruise).

Nearly one quarter (23 percent) of LGBTQ+ global respondents said they had just made travel reservations in the week prior to answering the survey.