Almost two-thirds of LGBTQ+ travellers surveyed in the UK would be willing to travel in 2020 if global timelines and safety protocols are in place, according to a poll from The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association.
The IGLTA Post Covid-19 LGBTQ+ Travel Survey was completed by 15,000 people around the world between April 16 and May 12, with 382 respondents in the UK.
Of those polled in the UK, 64% said they would feel comfortable travelling for leisure purposes before the end of 2020. More than half (55%) said they would consider a domestic holiday, while 45% said they would consider travelling overseas.
Almost a third of respondents (31%) said they expected to take a long-haul flight of six hours or more in the next six months, with 32% saying they were likely to take a medium-haul flight and 42% expecting to take a short-haul flight.
John Tanzella, IGLTA chief executive, said: “Previous studies have shown our community to be a resilient and loyal travel segment with a tendency to travel more than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.
“We wanted to document their sentiments during this particularly challenging moment in time to remind the tourism industry at large that LGBTQ+ travellers should be a valued part of their recovery plans. Messages of inclusion have the potential to resonate even more strongly with LGBTQ+ travellers now.”
More than half of respondents (57%) said the coronavirus pandemic would not change their choice of holiday destination in the future, with 22% indicating they would change their choice and the remaining 21% saying they were undecided.
Almost half (48%) said they were likely to stay at a hotel in the next six months, with 32% expecting to stay in a holiday home or apartment. More than a third (35%) said they would attend a Pride event or LGBTQ+ festival.
Of the 382 UK respondents to the survey, 80% identified as gay, 8% lesbian, 6% bisexual, 3% as queer, 2% pansexual and 1% selected “other”. Eighty-three per cent identified as men; 12% as women, 2% as non-binary and 2% as transgender. Two thirds of respondents were between the ages of 35 and 64.