Gay Times magazine has revealed that 60 per cent of the LGBTQ+ community seek out experiences such as Pride when away from home. Jenny Southan reports

This year, Pride is officially back to pre-2019 travel levels, and Airbnb has shared data showing that tens of thousands of nights have been booked on its platform around the world for this LGBTQ+ event.

In 2019, when Pride was last celebrated in-person, Airbnb says its hosts across the top 50 Pride destinations collectively earned over US$76 million during Pride weekends.

According to a new study conducted by Gay Times – which surveyed more than 15,000 LGBTQ+ people around the world on how the community approaches travel – nearly two-thirds of respondents have continued to embrace traveling abroad as restrictions eased throughout the pandemic.

Tag Warner, CEO of Gay Times, says: “LGBTQ+ people face varying challenges and obstacles when traveling abroad. It’s often not enough to understand local laws on LGBTQ+ rights, but also the social perspective from citizens – which often varies from city to city in any given country.

“On the other hand, data from this Gay Times study shows that LGBTQ+ people often travel to embrace themselves and their identity – knowing this can sometimes be easier when away from home.

“After speaking with our audience on their own travel plans, we’re expecting a significant increase in LGBTQ+ travel around Pride this summer. Many Pride protests and celebrations have been cancelled since 2019 and queer travellers are ready to take part again.”

The top 50 worldwide Pride celebrations (by total nights booked over respective Pride weekends)

  • London, UK (July 1-3, 2022)
  • Paris, France (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Rome, Italy (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Los Angeles, USA (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Lisbon, Portugal (June 17-19,  2022)
  • Barcelona, Spain (June 24-26,  2022)
  • Toronto, Canada (June 24-26, 2022)
  • New York City, USA (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Milan, Italy (July 1-3, 2022)
  • Madrid, Spain (July 8-12, 2022)
  • Vienna,  Austria (June 10-12, 2022)
  • São Paulo, Brazil (June 17-19, 2022)
  • Mexico City, Mexico (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Marseille, France (July 1-3, 2022)
  • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (May 20-22, 2022)
  • Seattle, USA (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Valencia, Spain (June 24-26, 2022)
  • San Francisco, USA (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Chicago, USA (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Nashville, Tennessee (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Denver, Colorado (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Portland, USA (June 17-19, 2022)
  • Edinburgh, UK (June 24-26, 2022)
  • New Orleans, Louisiana (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Montreal, Canada  (August 5-7,  2022)
  • Berlin, Germany (July 22-24, 2022)
  • Lyon, France (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Vancouver, Canada (July 29-31, 2022)
  • Tel Aviv, Israel (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Budapest, Hungary (July 22-24, 2022)
  • Dublin, Ireland (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Prague Czech, Republic (August 12-14, 2022)
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands (August 5-7, 2022)
  • Bordeaux, France (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Copenhagen, Denmark (August 19-21, 2022)
  • Brighton, UK (August 5-7, 2022)
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Cologne, Germany (July 1-3, 2022)
  • Glasgow, UK (June 24-26, 2022)
  • Bristol, UK (July 8-10, 2022)
  • Ibiza Town, Spain (June 17-19, 2022)
  • Austin, USA (August 12-14, 2022)
  • Provincetown, Massachusetts (June 3-5, 2022)
  • Mykonos, Greece (August 19-21, 2022)
  • Hamburg, Germany (August 5-7, 2022)
  • Manchester, UK (August 26-28, 2022)
  • Sitges, Spain (June 10-12, 2022)
  • Liverpool, UK (July 29-31, 2022)
  • Rotterdam, Netherlands (June 17-19, 2022)
  • Wilton Manors, USA (June 17-19, 2022)

Top ten global Pride weekends — by collective Airbnb host earnings in 2019:

  1. London, UK (over US$9 million)
  2. New York City, USA (nearly US$7 million)
  3. Paris, France (nearly US$6 million)
  4. Los Angeles, USA (nearly US$6 million)
  5. Rome, Italy (over US$3.5 million)
  6. Barcelona, Spain (over US$3 million)
  7. Montreal, Canada (nearly US$3 million)
  8. Toronto, Canada (nearly US$3 million)
  9. Amsterdam, Netherlands (nearly US$2.5 million)
  10. Madrid, Spain (over US$2 million)

Top ten most hospitable Pride destinations — by percentage of five-star Airbnb guest reviews

  1. ​​Portland, Oregon (89%)
  2. San Francisco, California (86%)
  3. Bristol, England (85%)
  4. Seattle, Washington (85%)
  5. Austin, Texas (85%)
  6. São Paulo, Brazil (84%)
  7. Glasgow, Scotland (84%)
  8. Mykonos, South Aegean (84%)
  9. Edinburgh, Scotland (83%)
  10. Los Angeles, California (82%)

Top ten trending Prides versus 2019 – by year over year nights booked growth:

  1. Rotterdam, Netherlands
  2. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  3. São Paulo, Brazil
  4. Marseille, France
  5. Austin, USA
  6. Lyon, France
  7. Wilton Manors, USA
  8. Sitges, Spain
  9. Milan, Italy
  10. Bristol, UK

While travel is a clear priority for the LGBTQ+ community, challenges are still present. According to Gay Times, two-thirds of respondents of their survey said they are worried about their LGBTQ+ identity when traveling, and nearly 65 per cent say they cannot find LGBTQ+ travel information easily when searching for a destination.

More so, over 70 per cent do not find LGBTQ+ destination information trustworthy online.

Airbnb’s belief in connection and belonging extends to every facet of our community – including our non-discimination policy and our community commitment that all hosts and guests must agree to before using the platform.

Airbnb has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as a top place to work for LGBTQ equality, and says its committed to “creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable company where anyone can belong”.