In 2026, the global travel industry is being reshaped by a powerful, discerning, and increasingly influential consumer segment: LGBTQIA+ travellers. This audience now represents one of the most commercially valuable and fast-growing opportunities in tourism—yet many businesses still fail to fully engage with it. We recently spoke with Oriol Pamies, Founder of Queer Destinations, to explore the importance of authentic representation, the rising expectations of intersectional inclusivity and accessibility, and how travel businesses, destinations, and governments can unlock the immense spending power of LGBTQIA+ travellers through genuine diversity commitments. Queer Destinations: A Pioneering Facilitator of Inclusive TravelA core theme of our discussion centred on authentic representation. How are businesses genuinely committing to diversity? How should they embed inclusive standards into their operations in an honest way? Queer Destinations has many of the answers to these questions, starting with several critical aspects: honest commitment, visible action, and structured diversity training. As a facilitator connecting governments, destinations, and companies with the LGBTQIA+ community, Queer Destinations provides awareness programmes, training, and travel product distinctions—all aimed at creating safe, inclusive spaces. Oriol Pamies, who has spent over a decade advocating for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in travel, underscored that authentic representation is urgent “in a time where LGBTQIA+ rights are being rolled back, and are not being seen as mandatory anymore.” He noted that, “with an average higher stay and average spend, it really is the right moment for businesses in the tourism industry who want to tap into this potential segment, but to do this in a way that is honest, genuine, and visible.” The Economic Power of LGBTQIA+ TravellersThe economic influence of this community is staggering. The LGBTQIA+ market’s buying power was estimated at $4.7 trillion, according to a report by LGBT Capital, with $1.4 trillion attributed to the US alone, and this figure is expected to grow. The LGBTQIA+ tourism market is expected to surpass $630 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8%—so, the question is how businesses that engage in authentic representation and genuine diversity commitments are set to benefit once they lean in. In fact, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts that LGBTQIA+ travellers constitute approximately 10% of the global travel sector; and not only this, but a notable 20.8% of Gen Z identify as part of this demographic. Combined with the understanding that Gen Z is the leading demographic who are spending on travel, this makes for a staggering pool of high-intent and highly valuable travellers waiting for travel businesses to make their move. “We [queer travellers] are awakening to the fact that we have 4.7 trillion dollars in acquisition power, as the LGBTQIA+ community, which would make us the fifth biggest economy in the world if we were to be a country,” Pamies noted. A significant benefit of The Travel Conscious Platform, developed with HBX Group, is that it “can effectively channel this acquisition power only to the governments, destinations and companies that are actively committed to diversity.” Importantly, LGBTQIA+ travellers not only represent a growing segment: they’re high-value customers. Cities and countries that actively promote LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility—from Pride events to inclusive tourism campaigns—consistently attract higher volumes of queer travellers. These travellers, in turn, contribute to local economies through accommodation, dining, retail, and cultural experiences. Pamies offered a powerful example of this at HBX Group’s MarketHub Europe, noting in his panel discussion at the event as organisers of Madrid Pride, they saw that the event attracted over 2 million people, and generated $580 million for the city itself in tourism dollars. Pictured above: Oriol Pamies at this year's HBX Group MarketHub Europe, during the 'Turning Data into Opportunities' panel. “We travel all year round, and 3.4 times more than our straight counterparts, so now more than ever [inclusion] is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do business-wise,” Pamies suggested, compounding reports that, in some cases, put this higher average stay and spend at 20-25% more than other travellers in-destination (according to recent reports by Arrival.) Of course, business value speaks, and when considering the impact of this demographic at a macro level, this influence is clear. But opportunism and genuine commitment should go hand in hand; this is where authentic commitment to diversity comes in. The World’s First Travel Conscious Platform: Intentional Bookings and Commitment SignallingFor Queer Destinations, they were founded in order to build an international standard of excellence that didn’t yet exist for LGBTQIA+ travellers. Now, Queer Destinations manages the national strategies, together with ministers of tourism, for countries like Mexico, Spain and Greece, and is expanding into many more. Oriol suggested: “As we reached a critical mass of companies committed to this distinction, we were ready for the next step and joined a venture with HBX Group to launch the first Travel Conscious Platform.” This Travel Conscious Platform captures the intersection between value-driven bookings, intentional revenue capture, and commitment signalling. By creating an ecosystem of products and companies that have been pre-trained and identified by the ‘Queer Destinations Committed’ label, Queer Destinations and HBX Group have empowered LGBTQIA+ travellers—”and anyone who believes that diversity is the way forward”, Oriol added—with the world’s first travel marketplace where travellers can choose companies that have undergone sensitivity training, employ LGBTQIA+ staff, and reinvest in local LGBTQIA+ communities. This, for Pamies, represents the new “standard of excellence and security, the new level we require from everyone who wants to tap into this segment,” and aims to empower travellers to support businesses that support them. Genuine diversity commitment is critical, not only at a time where LGBTQIA+ rights are being rolled back globally, Pamies noted, but as “queer people are more than ever conscious about where they travel, and more importantly, they are awakening to understand that before making a purchasing decision, they can now think: is this company doing something to actively welcome queer people?” The Travel Conscious Platform empowers queer people to support those businesses “who support us back,” Pamies continued, “and this is the first platform to ever be able to do that.”The Cost of Inclusion: Accessible Platforming for Destinations, Governments and Travel CompaniesTo align with a new standard of excellence, one might be inclined to think this comes with significant expenditure, but Queer Destinations have made sure this is not the case. Pamies explained that: “The investment that we require to be a part of the platform, it's really a very symbolic amount. We are charging €3,500 every two years, so any marketing budget or sales budget can sustain that.” This affordable fee ensures that inclusivity isn’t limited to only large corporations. “Budgeting was always an excuse to question diversity,” Pamies confirmed. For businesses who truly want to capture the revenue from LGBTQIA+ travellers, the most important aspect is that “they’re present on the first and only ecosystem that, globally, will connect them with the final consumer within the LGBTQIA+ community.” For businesses, the investment to participate in the Travel Conscious Platform is far outweighed by the opportunities available and the potential return. For hotels, earning the 'Queer Destinations Committed' label and visibility on the marketplace attracts high-spend, trust-based travellers. For DMOs and governments, this distinction also contributes to brand reputation and positive sentiment from an increasingly values-driven, modern traveller. For distribution platforms, the value lies in accessing curated travel product offerings that embed diversity into their portfolios. Travellers will feel empowered, whether they align with the LGBTQIA+ community or want to purchase from companies that align with held values, and a higher sense of trust is more likely to transform into repeat bookings. From Opportunity to Strategy: The Role of Diversity Distinctions, Training, and Queer DestinationsHowever, to capture this highly loyal segment, for many travel businesses the challenge is not recognising the opportunities, but knowing how to act effectively. Training, here, is central: By ensuring that 100% of staff have gone through dedicated LGBTQ+ sensitivity training, like the programmes that they offer, this can help ensure that “the stay of any traveller will translate into them becoming a loyal consumer,” Pamies noted. But not only a repeat consumer, Pamies stated, but one that will be a “catalyst of change and promotion even better than any marketing campaign possible.” As part of this essential training, the ‘Queer Destinations Committed’ label is also another key differentiator, as an educational programme which comprises an ongoing commitment to support LGBTQIA+ travellers. By offering an implementation framework and ongoing opportunities for improvement and feedback, all recognised companies, organisations and governments can create more inclusive and safe destinations and travel experiences from end-to-end. Pamies identified this label as part of several key stages for embedding real diversity: an initial public commitment to diversity, staff training, outreach through LGBTQIA+ media, influencer partnerships, and educating travel agents and B2B partners. This structured inclusion—via certification, training, and strategic consulting as offered by Queer Destinations—ensures diversity is embedded across all operations and touchpoints, signalling genuine commitment.Why does diversity commitment matter in a values-driven travel industry?Today’s traveller, particularly within younger generations, is increasingly making purchase decisions based not only on price, convenience, or what they’ve seen on social media, but on whether a company’s values align with their own. In parallel with their economic power, LGBTQIA+ travellers are reshaping how brands are assessed. In fact, many younger, Gen Z travellers are more likely to take a business's visible actions and value commitments into consideration during the buying journey. Why does this matter? Purchasing as an Identity: Young consumers view every purchase as a statement of their personal beliefs and a way to use their voice.Demand for Transparency: Because they are digital natives with vast amounts of information at their fingertips, they can, and will, verify whether a brand practices what it preaches. This purchasing behaviour also extends beyond LGBTQIA+ audiences themselves, reflecting a broader consumer expectation across the market for values-aligned products from businesses that convey visible, but more importantly genuine, commitment. For LGBTQIA+ travellers, however, the stakes are higher. Safety, acceptance, and authenticity are fundamental requirements, not competitive differentiators or ’nice-to-haves’. Destinations, hotels, and travel providers perceived as unwelcoming, inconsistent, or performative in their inclusivity risk losing out on the ‘positive reinforcement’ that Pamies suggested is so prevalent within this sector: “We just want to mind our business, travel, be free, and be able to ourselves, while making sure we are rewarding those [businesses] who want us and will take care of us, with our business.”Authentic inclusion and the journey to meaningful, commercial successDespite clear evidence of opportunity, a significant portion of the industry still underperforms in addressing LGBTQIA+ travellers. This gap creates both a competitive advantage for inclusive brands and a growing risk for those that fail to adapt. Despite the clear opportunities, many industry players still underperform in addressing LGBTQIA+ travellers. Superficial messaging, campaigns or one-off training initiatives are increasingly viewed as “pinkwashing”—a term activists use for performative support. So, how can travel businesses move past simply communicating inclusivity and towards meaningful implementation of diversity? “I would go from public commitment, sensitivity, having a strategy, and going for distribution, knowing that the experience you’re going to deliver is effectively the best possible,” Pamies noted in response to the same question. The ‘Queer Destinations Committed’ label, alongside the Travel Conscious Platform from Queer Destinations and HBX Group help businesses, organisations, and destinations to embed this deep, meaningful inclusion rather than rely on superficial gestures.The Outcome? Inclusion as a Baseline, Not a Travel TrendWhile new, critical regulations like the European Accessibility Act reinforce that inclusion is not optional – rather, a baseline expectation – queer travellers are still not so readily afforded this regulatory protection. While many countries have made progress, more than 60 still impose legal restrictions on LGBTQIA+ individuals. Despite this, the segment rises in power: “Even though there are countries where there are no regulations that are actively protecting queer people,” Pamies suggested, “we travel everywhere all the time. It is because of this that a partnership between HBX Group and Queer Destinations comes into play, and is providing HBX Group partners the chance to choose if they are interested in this segment.” The need for trust, safety and assurance shapes travel decisions made by the LGBTQIA+ segment. Businesses that proactively address these concerns through clear policies, staff training, and inclusive partnerships, are positioning themselves in a way that not only allows them to capture the attention—and revenue—of this travel community, but also future-proof themselves in an increasingly value-driven economy. For travel businesses, the implications are clear. Capturing this market requires more than visibility; it demands authenticity, consistency, and long-term investment. Real, genuine inclusivity within the business model is about empowering a significant and valuable traveller demographic; those that succeed will benefit not only from increased revenue, but from stronger brand equity and resilience in an increasingly values-driven market.Partner with HBX Group todayFuture-looking travel companies all across the travel industry and beyond can access the Travel Conscious Platform as a registered partner with HBX Group. HBX Group's global B2B distribution ecosystem connects hotels with more than 60,000 travel distributors across 135 markets through a single integration, simplifying operations while significantly expanding commercial reach. We invite you to join our network by completing the form below and enhance your ability to capture and connect with the high-spend, high-value LGBTQIA+ travel segment. Partner with HBX Group today
