translated from Spanish: LGBTI+ Tourism: Places to travel quietly and proudly

The LGBTIQ+ community, due to its level of consumption, could be considered as a fifth country. According to a World Bank report published before the start of the pandemic, this segment of the population generates a GDP of $3.6 trillion annually, behind the United States ($20.4), China ($13.5), Japan ($4.9 trillion) and Germany ($3.9).
One of the sectors of the economy where the LGBTIQ+ community has the strongest impact is tourism, in which there is a high consumption for travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, bars and different attractions, such as themed events and the famous pride parades. That’s why Assist Card remembers some of the most friendly places for this group that this month proudly claims diversity.
Three unmissable pride parades
1. New York (United States), not only owns one of the most iconic LGBTIQ+ pride parades, but is also the city that saw the birth of this celebration in 1970.
2. Madrid (Spain), is recognized for its MADO party, which usually brings together thousands of people annually in this meeting that, it is said, is the most important in Europe. Thus, during the week of pride the Neighborhood of Chueca, gives rise to the festival where different acts and local events take place.
3. Mexico City has hosted LGBTIQ+ demonstrations since 1978 and currently the Pride March of this capital is one of the most important in the world.
LGBTIQ+ friendly destinations
Every step towards equality is a step towards social acceptance, which has a direct impact on tourists. In that sense, anti-LGBT laws and rules and safety abroad with LGBTIQ+ people are the main concerns of international travelers in that community when choosing a destination.
While waiting for our country’s borders to reopen to tourism, the LGBTIQ+ community can begin organizing its next “gaycation” by closely following the latest “Spartacus” 2020/21 report. It follows that among the most “gay friendly” destinations in the world are in the “top five” Canada, Malta, Sweden, Austria and Argentina.
Argentina occupies the fifth place in the ranking and is the Latin American country that reached the best position in this guide. It is recognized for having a very active local LGBTIQ+ community, as well as a wide variety of cities that, through safe and inclusive experiences, welcome international travelers from that segment of the population. Thanks to the implementation of laws such as the Trans Labor Quota and the inclusion of the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the anti-discrimination law at the federal level, among others, Argentina was positioned as a country for all colors.
At the other extreme appear the least recommended for these travelers: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Chechnya. Likewise, countries popular for world tourism such as Egypt, Malaysia and Jamaica, are also marked as unsafe by continuing to consider homosexuality as illegal.
“For the LGBTIQ+ community, that freedom is not complete as homosexuality is criminalized in more than 70 countries. Therefore, as a company in charge of taking care of people while they know the world, we support the inclusion of this community in the generation of safe spaces free of discrimination in all destinations, so that they welcome travelers from this group”, explains Daniel Escolá, Commercial Manager of Assist Card Chile.
Given the contingency due to COVID-19, before choosing the next destination for a “gaycation”, you must consider the requirements that the various countries request for the arrival of travelers, as well as that, some of them are not yet open. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to date, 32% of destinations worldwide request a PCR test on arrival, as the main requirement to enter, sometimes combined with quarantine.
The origin of “Pride”
On June 28, 1969, nypd raided Stonewall INN, a popular gay bar, located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. A protest turned into a revolt. Lesbians, gays, transgender people and drag queens made themselves heard under the cry, “I’m proud to be gay/ to be a lesbian/ to be a transvestite.” After three days of popular protests in the streets of the neighborhood, the police finally had to back down. The following year, the first LGBTIQ+ pride parades were held to corporal in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and London.
The Stonewall riots marked a historic milestone and changed the lives of millions of LGBTQI+ people around the world. Over the past two decades, significant legislative and public policy progress has been made around the LGBTIQ+ rights agenda: from laws ending the criminalization of same-sex sex to combating discrimination or ensuring gender identity. , up to the recognition of marriage equality and adoption between same-sex couples.
Since then, every June 28 is commemorated the “International LGBT Pride Day”, a date on which the famous parades led by different organizations of the LGBTIQ+ community that seek a more tolerant, egalitarian and inclusive society are organized.

Original source in Spanish