Four in 10 LGBTQ+ Canadians still choose to hide their identities when travelling, according to the latest Travel Proud Research Report from Booking.com, which suggests there is “clear tension shaping LGBTQ+ travel today.”
Touting the company’s most expansive and cross-cutting survey to date, the report reveals that “Many people want to experience the world as themselves, but still make safety-related trade-offs along the way.”
The report provides insights from 13,300 LGBTQ+ travellers across 19 countries, including 839 respondents in Canada, where just 38% of LGBTQ+ travellers say they are ‘out’ when travelling (compared to 77% who are out to close friends), and 38% say they would hide their identity to reach a bucket-list destination.
Trade-offs LGBTQ+
A striking finding in this year’s report: the LGBTQ+ travellers who report the fewest negative experiences are those who identify as ‘not out.’ Canadian travellers who are ‘not out’ are the least likely to have had a negative experience related to their sexuality on a trip in the last 12 months. They are also the only group where a majority didn’t report feeling anxious when travelling.
“It’s a stark reminder that the ‘safest’ LGBTQ+ travellers are often the ones who are most effectively able to hide parts of who they are,” says Booking.com.
Precautions and anxiety on the rise
Further to that, 40% of Canadian LGBTQ+ travellers also say that they are taking more precautions than they were a few years ago; actions like sharing live locations with trusted contacts to manage anxiety (25%), deleting dating apps before border crossings (18%), using VPNs to disguise activity or access blocked sites (20%) and carrying burner phones (14%) are common. 40% constantly scan their surroundings before showing affection to their partner in public.
The data also highlights the particular challenges faced by trans travellers. 42% of North American trans travellers have been feeling more anxious in the last few years compared to a global average of 34%. Using gendered facilities (bathrooms, changing rooms) is the number one anxiety trigger (26%); highlighting the reality of a travel experience which other groups do not face with the same intensity.
Acceptance improving
Despite these persistent hurdles, encouragingly, Canadian LGBTQ+ travellers report far more positive experiences than negative ones globally, with 74% sharing at least one positive experience related to their gender or sexual identity when travelling in the last year, ranging from staff using correct pronouns (31%), signs of inclusivity at a property such as pride flags (39%) gender-neutral bathrooms (39%), and LGBTQ+ staff members (29%). Overall, 46% of Canadian LGBTQ+ travellers believe that acceptance has improved in the last few years.
“This year’s research highlights exactly why our Travel Proud program, our inclusive hospitality training for partners, remains so important. The data reveals a real tension for LGBTQ+ travellers today, with many feeling the need to filter or hide their identity just to experience a bucket-list destination safely,” said Ian Ackland, Managing Director, Americas at Booking.com.
He added, “At Booking.com, we believe travellers shouldn’t have to make those kinds of profound trade-offs. Making travel more inclusive starts with supporting our hospitality partners, and by scaling this training to over 142,000 properties across 20,000 cities, we are helping more travellers feel safe and welcomed just as they are.”
AI helps
As LGBTQ+ travellers seek to balance safety with authenticity, many are increasingly turning to digital tools for information, reassurance and trip planning. That helps explain why AI is emerging as a surprisingly important part of the LGBTQ+ travel experience, particularly when it comes to navigating questions around identity, local culture and personal safety, says Booking.com.
Nearly half (46%) of Canadian LGBTQ+ travellers used AI to plan a trip in the last year, with 44% trusting AI to provide objective, non-judgmental travel advice regarding their identity. 39% believe AI is efficient at finding niche LGBTQ+ friendly spots which are hard to find via standard search. 40% feel safer asking AI sensitive questions about the local LGBTQ+ scene than asking another person. 33% say that they would find an inclusion or ‘LGBTQ+ friendly’ search filter, like Booking.com’s Travel Proud (which declares “we filter places, not people”) filter and badge, useful when booking travel online.
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