For the first time, the International Gay & Lesbian Travel
Association (IGLTA) held its annual Global Convention on the African continent.
The event, which took place from April 14 to 16 in Cape Town and welcomed more
than 300 delegates from 26 countries, opened up the continent to LGBT travel.
In his keynote welcome address, South African minister of tourism Derek
Hanekom said, “What I can say without any shadow of
a doubt is that, as a country, we need you and want you here. Not because of
who we are, but because of who you are. Because of the struggles you have
faced. Because of the brave or even the ordinary lives that you lead. We need
you because you bring experience and challenge into our lives, and we have
never been afraid of either.
“We need you
because, in many instances, you bring a new way of looking at things, a new and
exciting way of living, which has always been part of our South African life
but frequently ignored or disparaged or violently rejected. We want you here to
be a light to the millions of LGBT people in our country, so that wherever they
are, they might know that they are not alone, that they are quite normal and
that they should live their lives unafraid. For that is the kind of country we
are trying to build.”
Enver Duminy, the CEO of Cape
Town Tourism, explained that the conference showed the world that Cape Town as
well as South Africa leads the way in tolerance.
“While we hope to inspire other
nations in providing a tolerant environment for visitors of all kinds, our
first goal is to ensure that we are a welcoming city,” he said, adding that the
city offers many experiences around LGBT opportunities. Every year, the city
hosts the Cape Town Pride Festival as well as the Out in Africa Festival and
the Mother City Queer Project, a festival that has held annually for more than
20 years.
Duminy pointed out that some
countries on the continent are not as progressive as South Africa in their
legislation or social approach to the LGBT community. He said: “It will take
time for those countries to change, but hopefully as South Africans we can
inspire other nations in adapting their attitudes and updating their
legislation.”
For David Ryan,
CEO of Rhino Africa Safaris, South Africa and Cape Town in particular have most
definitely left their mark as an attractive and safe destination for LGBT
travelers. “I am confident this market will continue to grow post the IGLTA
convention,” he said, adding that foreign delegates had been surprised to see
how accessible and safe Cape Town was.
Said Ryan: “It
most definitely changed the perception that traveling to
Africa is dangerous. Having been addressed by the minister of tourism directly
gave credibility to the fact that South Africa and Cape Town is welcoming to
the LGBT community. The convention created the opportunity to answer some of
the questions people had in terms of safety.”
John Tanzella,
IGLTA president/CEO, agreed, saying the conference
really was an eye-opening experience for many of the delegates visiting for the
first time. “Because they are influential in the world of tourism, it can only
help Cape Town and South Africa in attracting more LGBT travelers over the long
haul,” he said.
According to
Tanzella, Southern Africa will advance
more quickly than the rest of the continent, with changes to the legal standing
of LGBT citizens a driving force. He said: “Mozambique and the Seychelles both
stand to benefit from decriminalizing homosexuality, whereas other African
countries that continue to push for severe anti-gay legislation will lag far
behind.”
Tanzella explained
that in many African nations, homosexuality
still is illegal and a punishable offense. “The citizens and the business
communities need to band together to lobby the governments for change,” he
said. “It's not just LGBT people who will make this happen; straight alliances
also are key.”