The global LGBT traveling community was shaken to its
core last week when a gunman in Orlando shot and killed 49 people at a gay
nightclub and injured 53 others. But advocates for LGBT travel said that, if
anything, the shooting highlighted how important it is for the community to
continue to travel and to interact with other people and cultures throughout
the world.
“Travel is one of the things in the world that really
connects cultures and diversity,” said John Tanzella, president and CEO of the
International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), which promotes
LGBT-friendly travel. “The community, not just in Orlando but globally, the
LGBT community is really shaken up,” Tanzella said. “It was really an attack on
our community, at a gay bar where people in our community feel safe, feel
ourselves.”
The attack was carried out by a lone gunman at Orlando’s
Pulse nightclub in the early morning hours on Sunday, June 12. Later that day,
authorities in Los Angeles apprehended a man whose car was loaded with weapons
and ammunition and who reportedly was planning to attend the L.A. Pride
festival in West Hollywood.
Both incidents occurred in a month when cities around the
globe are celebrating gay pride with parades and festivities that attract LGBT
visitors and supporters. But Tanzella said he did not see LGBT travelers
putting away their passports or travel bags because of what happened in
Orlando.
“I don’t foresee this situation impacting travel in the
LGBT community negatively,” he said. “If anything, I think the community would
more proactively show that we’re not going to be fearful to travel.”
Even as the LGBT community continues to make progress in
terms of acceptance and in destinations being more welcoming toward them,
travel sellers who specialize in LGBT travel last week acknowledged that the
struggle is far from over.
In a statement on his company’s website, Darren Burn,
founder of OutOfOffice.com, an LGBT travel company that launched in the U.K.,
wrote: “[The] attack shows that even in countries where the LGBT community is
welcome, nothing can prevent senseless violence and terror. I long for a day
when we don’t need to worry about where we travel and when LGBT pride is used
as only a celebration of who we are rather than the need to campaign for
equality. Until then, we still have work to do.”
Along those lines, the IGLTA has been strengthening its
relationships with various industry partners in order to better communicate the
needs and wants of the community as well as to seek ways that destinations and
travel companies can be more welcoming.
In addition to renewing its long-standing partnership
with the National Tour Association this month, the IGLTA last month formalized
its partnership with the European Travel Commission (ETC).
Tanzella said that the U.S. and Europe represent both
some of the most welcoming and unwelcoming destinations for LGBT travelers. But
the tide has been shifting as destinations increasingly see the community as a
market that presents an opportunity to grow business.
The annual global value of the LGBT travel market has
been pegged at $200 billion, according to LGBT market research and consulting
firm Out Now. The IGLTA is working with organizations such as the ETC to
achieve more effective marketing initiatives aimed at the LGBT traveling
community.
For example, the IGLTA points to the positive impact that
LGBT-friendly legislation, such as the passage of same-sex civil-union laws,
can have on travel to a destination. The organization also works to enhance the
industry’s understanding of how the community travels and of the stereotypes
surrounding it.
“LGBT travelers want many of the same things that any
other traveler wants,” Tanzella said. “A lot of [LGBT] travelers are looking
for gastronomy, events, culture and history.”
While it remains to be seen whether or not the Orlando
shooting impacts travel by lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgender people to
Orlando or to and within the U.S., Tanzella warned that there can be economic
consequences when destinations take an active stance against LGBT interests or
the community itself.
For example, North Carolina reportedly experienced a
significant financial fallout following the state’s recent passage of its
so-called “bathroom bill.” House Bill 2 requires people to use public toilets
that correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificates. The law
resulted in concerts and other performances being canceled by entertainers and
event organizers who support the LGBT community. It also resulted in the
cancellation of conferences and other business events.
“Ultimately, it’s a loss of revenue for being bigoted
toward the LGBT community, so that, in turn, hurts your stakeholders,” Tanzella
said. “Your hotels aren’t going to make as much money, [nor are] your venues,
restaurants. It’s just not a smart move in business. Our organization does not
necessarily condone boycotts. We frame it more around the fact that it’s bad
for business to do something like that, and North Carolina is a perfect example.”
In the case of Orlando, Tanzella estimates that at least
for the time being, the destination might even see an uptick in visitors as
members of the LGBT community flock to the city to demonstrate their support.