John Tanzella, IGLTA President/CEO, iglta@iglta.org

At IGLTA, our team, partners, and members are connected by travel. But within travel, there are many niche markets—so very many.

A quick Google search reveals dozens of them. There’s travel that focuses on family or luxury; on cruises or road tripping; on adventure or gastronomy; and so many more: business, romance, medical/dental tourism, religious pilgrimages, volunteering, shopping, UFOs (really!), underwater, culinary, genealogy, jungle tours, etc. The specific reasons to travel are so numerous, it seems almost to read like a list of the world’s hobbies.

And yes, LGBTQ+ interests are in the mix. But unlike some other segments, LGBTQ+ travel also encompasses all of them. IGLTA’s members know this better than most tourism and hospitality professionals, because we are the customers we serve. We know that LGBTQ+ travel is never one-size-fits-all. Rather, every trip is a unique opportunity to enjoy a destination based on individual interests.

From the CEO: LGBTQ+ Travelers Journey in Many Styles

Photo by @lezzgoto via Instagram

We also see the entire range of travel budgets within our community. Often, LGBTQ+ travelers are filed under “luxury, ” a holdover from the stereotype of “double-income-no-kids.” But pursuing luxury travel is only one of the ways LGBTQ+ travelers enjoy the world.

On our website, IGLTA’s “Plan Your Trip” function is a way to zero in on specific pursuits, locales, and providers. But, if you take a closer look at the categories and trip types, you’ll see a wide array of interests sought by LGBTQ+ travelers. Vacations types include: beach, country, driving vacations, guided tours, and beyond. In our provider categories, you can search for niches like vacation photography, cooking classes, spas, health and fitness, and more. We also include LGBTQ+-owned businesses and destination CVBs.

And yes, there also are many travel businesses among our global ranks who specialize in travelers seeking high-end experiences—for them, attention to detail goes hand-in-hand with making everyone feel welcome. With global partners like Belmond, The Travel Corporation (parent of Red Carnation Hotels, Trafalgar, and others), as well as other top brands, we connect luxury options and LGBTQ+ hospitality.

At its core, IGLTA is here to help LGBTQ+ travelers find the businesses that will make their diverse travel dreams come true, from the every day to the aspirational, all over the world.

Featured image by @alcorvi via Instagram