Source: Airbnb

Key Takeaways

  • During the 40th LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) Global Convention in Puerto Rico, Airbnb presented a survey commissioned to the IGLTA Foundation that showcases the Latin America trending destinations for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • More than 60% of the respondents, who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, are planning to travel 2 times or more during 2024. After Europe, Latin America is the second destination they feel most excited to travel to.
  • Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil are among the top 6 preferred countries to visit, and were also recognized by respondents as the most inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Rio de Janeiro in Brasil, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City in Mexico, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia are among the top cities respondents said they would like to visit.

During the 40th Annual Global Convention of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Airbnb presented the results of a survey commissioned to the IGLTA Foundation that identify new travel trends among the LGBTQ+ community1 including accommodation preferences and inclusive destinations.

The survey identified the following trends:

  • More than 90% of the respondents traveled during the last year, with close to 6% spending more than 2,000 USD on travel.
  • More than 60% of respondents are planning to travel more than twice during 2024.
  • 30% select their destination based on affordability; 30% consider safety a priority, and 35% said they prefer destinations where they can feel accepted as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The findings of this survey highlight the profound impact that inclusivity has on the LGBTQ+ travel experience. Feeling safe, accepted, and valued as members of the community is of utmost importance for LGBTQ+ travelers. Destinations that prioritize inclusivity not only create positive experiences, but also benefit from the significant economic contributions of our community. John Tanzella, President/CEO IGLTA

Regarding the preference for Airbnb, key finding from the survey include:

  • Nearly 80% of the LGBTQ+ travelers said they have stayed in an Airbnb listing in the last year.
  • More than 40% said they select Airbnb to be able to stay outside a tourist area and have a local experience. A further 40% said they choose to stay in an Airbnb listing for the different amenities they provide, while almost 20% said they use this option to have more privacy and feel more welcome.
  • For more than 50% of the respondents, Airbnb has allowed them to travel to destinations they never considered visiting before and more than 50%2 said Airbnb listings are reducing the risk of being discriminated against.

After Europe, Latin American is the second favorite destination the LGBTQ+ community is most excited to travel to. The research explored the preferred destinations in this region:

  • The top countries that the LGBTQ+ community would like to visit next year include Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
  • The top cities the LGBTQ+ community would like to visit are Rio de Janeiro in Brasil, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City in Mexico, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia are the top cities.

These destinations also were considered as the most inclusive for the IGLTQ+ community.

Source: AirbnbSource: Airbnb
Source: Airbnb

Airbnb is committed to fostering connection and belonging. Over the last several years, Airbnb has implemented a number of programs and policies to build inclusion and fight discrimination. This includes instituting the Airbnb Community Commitment, requiring everyone who uses Airbnb to agree to treat each other with respect and without judgment or bias. All prospective Hosts and guests must agree to the Community Commitment and to follow our Nondiscrimination Policy in order to join our community. To date, more than 2.5 million people have been denied access to, or removed from the Airbnb platform for declining to agree to the Community Commitment.

During his participation in the IGLTA Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carlos Olivos, Head of Corporate Communications for Airbnb Latin America said: It is thanks to the Airbnb community that has embraced inclusion and is welcoming guests with open arms that a positive change for the LGBTQ+ community is being made in all the cities and towns where Airbnb is present, and we expect it expands to the rest of the communities. Last June, Airbnb reported a growth of approximately 90 percent, of the total number of Hosts using LGBTQ+ inclusive language on their profiles globally3.

Airbnb has partnered with IGLTA for the last five years working to empower LGBT+ welcoming travel businesses globally through leadership, research and education. Airbnb has sponsored the IGLTA Fellowship program that supports LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. In Latin America, Airbnb has worked with LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce in Argentina, the National Commerce and Tourism LGBTQ+ Association in Mexico, and IGLTA in Brazil to teach inclusive concepts to the Airbnb Host community. We are committed to making travel more inclusive and will continue working with our Hosts and partners to help drive inclusion around the world, concluded Olivos.

1. Based on a survey of more than 800 US and Puerto Rico respondents part of the IGLTA community during July and August 2023.
2. When asked if Airbnb properties listings reduce the risk of being discriminated against.
3. Based on Hosts who used LGBTQ+-inclusive language (using variations of “LGBT”, “gay”, “safe space”, “inclusive”) in their profiles on January 1, 2017 compared with January 1, 2023.

About IGLTA & the IGLTA Foundation

IGLTA is the global leader in advancing LGBTQ+ travel. • IGLTA’s network includes 13,000+ travel professionals in 80 countries. The philanthropic IGLTA Foundation empowers LGBTQ+ welcoming travel businesses globally through leadership, research, and education. For more information visit iglta.org, igltaconvention.org or iglta.org/foundation and follow us on Facebook at @IGLTA, @IGLTABusiness and @IGLTAFoundation, Twitter and LinkedIn at @IGLTA and @IGLTAFoundation, and Instagram @IGLTA.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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