Challenges someone within the LGBT+ community face in terms of tourism.

ABSTRACT: Within this paper, the main subject that shall be discussed is what challenges does someone within the LGBT+ community face in terms of tourism as well as a case study on the middle east focusing on the 2022 Qatar men’s FIFA world cup.

KEY WORDS: LGBT+, homophobia, LGBT+ tourism, Middle east, Qatar, 2022 Qatar men’s world cup.

LGBT+ is an abbreviation for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and the ‘+ ’ is used as an inclusive symbol to mean all and others.
Homophobia is described as “culturally produced fear of or prejudice against homosexuals that sometimes manifests itself in legal restriction or, in extreme cases, bulling or even violence against homosexuals” (Anderson, 2024).

DISCUSSION: LGBT+ tourism is generally described as a niche type of tourism. This type of tourism refers to the development and market of tourism products and services to those who are a part of this specific community. In the 1920s several destinations had become open to receiving gay tourist, this is when the start to LGBT+ tourism had come about. With the growth and the current diversification of tourist services in the LGBT+ segment, it’s found to be concentrated around three particular areas which include: events (pride and commercial festivals) same sex wedding and celebrations, tours, and activities (Jordan, 2018).

The first case of anti-homosexuality in terms of the law stems back all the way to the reign of henry VIII who had created an anti-homosexuality law, meaning that homosexuality was punishable by death. However, this was soon changed to imprisonment 200 years later. 1967 in Britain, homosexuality was decriminalised. However, in 2024, 70 countries are still criminalising same sex activities to which 11 allow for punishment by death. If an individual is subjected to a hate crime it could result in reduction to an individual’s mental health, lower quality of life, increased risk of suicide and also worsened physical heath. Therefore, it’s extremely important for an individual to research into a country’s laws and society’s views on the LGBT+ community as the individual may be subjected to hate crimes more likely in a place that is anti-homosexual, however wherever an LGBT+ individual goes, they are open to hate crimes meaning that their thought process is going to be different to a heterosexual persons (Hughes, 2020).

Within literature it is shown that those within the community prefer destinations which are celebrated as gay friendly with concentration on places, attractions, accommodations, and events, this is so that the individual is able to feel free and comfortable in expressing their own identities openly. Moreover, an individual may feel significant amounts of anxiety with a heteronormative tourist service provider by disclosing their sexuality resulting in the LGBT+ community feeling more comfortable in going with a LGBT+ specialist like the international LGBT+ community (IGLTA).

A study was done in order to see how people viewed destinations in terms of how they treat the LGBT+ community. 67% of the participants, their travel destination plans were either moderately or to great extent influenced by the laws and rights for the local LGBT+ community. Moreover, it was found that 45% of the respondents cited fear of verbal or physical violence and 12% were concerned with the lack of protection (Thurlow, 2018).

MIDDLE EAST: 5 of 11 destinations that allow for the death penalty are located in the middle east. Homosexuality is more likely to be accepted in places like north America, Europe, Latin America and also Asia/pacific than those living in the middle east. Qatar is a destination that has punishment ranging from imprisonment of 3 – 5 years and even death. The world cup being held in Qatar received immense backlash before the world cup was to take place, the human right organisation had mentioned that security forces had been arresting LGBT+ people and subjecting them to ill treatment in detention in the country. However, the LGBT+ community were also verbally harassed and subjected to physical abuse, which had ranged from slapping, kicking, and punching until they bled (HRW, 2022). Moreover, the fans felt they could not travel to attend the tournament to cheer their team on just because of the way Qatar viewed human, workers, and LGBT+ rights.

Moreover, in Qatar they have a homosexuality text which is in place so that the test prevents any homosexual travellers from entering. Travellers would have to do a routine medical examination as well as being screened for Homosexuality. If they pass these tests it means that the traveller will be allowed the visa and those who fail means they would get their visa revoked. The problem lies in the fact that it was almost definite that LGBT+ tourist were not allowed in (DBpedia, undated).

CONCLUSION: It’s important for LGBT+ tourist to look up destinations they intend on visiting due to them being subjected to hate crimes. Hate crimes can be physical to emotional. LGBT+ and their tourism experience is automatically altered due to them having to look up destinations in order to research their views on the LGBT+ community to which heterosexual tourist are less likely to do so.

References:
Anderson, E. (2024) Homophobia. Britannica. Available from https://www.britannica.com/topic/homophobia [Accessed 6th May 2024].
DBpedia (undated) About: GCC Homosexuality Test. DBpedia. Available from https://dbpedia.org/page/GCC_homosexuality_test [Accessed 16th May 2024].
Hughes, B.L. (2020) The UK History Of LGBTQ+: A Timeline of Important Events. Highspeedtraining. Available from https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/history-of-lgbtq-timeline/ [Accessed 10th May 2024].
HRW (2022) Qatar: Security Forces Arrest, Abuse LGBT People. HumanRightsWatch. Available from https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/10/24/qatar-security-forces-arrest-abuse-lgbt-people [Accessed 17th May 2024].
Jordan, P. (2018) Handbook on The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBT) Travel Segment. Belgium: European Travel Commission. Available from https://etc-corporate.org/uploads/reports/ETC-Handbook-on-LGBTQ-Travel-Segment.pdf [Accessed 7th May 2024].
Thurlow, C. (2018) The Economic Cost of Homophobia – UK. Peter Tatchell Foundation. Available from https://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/report-a4-lo-res-1.pdf [Accessed 15th May 2024].

This comment will analyse the role of heteronormativity in LGBT+ travellers' perceived travel restrictions from the perspective of queer theory.

Queer theory suggests that LGBT+ travellers may unconsciously internalise society's heteronormative norms, which may lead to feelings of guilt or self-repression while travelling. According to Usai et al. (2020), intra-personal heteronormativity refers to the internal conflict that LGBT+ travellers may feel as a result of social norms that prioritise heteronormative relationships and behaviours. For example, they may avoid displaying intimate behaviour in public to avoid judgement or discomfort from heterosexuals.

Assumptions of heterosexuality as "normal" and "reasonable" in different cultural contexts may pose a challenge to LGBT+ travellers (Usai et al., 2022). In many destinations, particularly those with relatively conservative cultures, LGBT+ communities may feel excluded. For example, despite the fact that LGBT+ relationships have been documented throughout China's history and are represented in art and literature, the community is not legally afforded the same rights and protections as heterosexuals. Until 2001, homosexuality was considered a mental illness in China. China's government heavily censors representations of same-sex relationships and restricts public displays and pride events, making it nearly impossible for the LGBT+ community to express their identity and rights in public (Solace Global, 2023).

In addition, heterosexuals appear to have "invisible privileges". In tourist venues, heterosexuals can often enjoy services and social interactions naturally, without fear of having their sexuality questioned or being discriminated against. In contrast, LGBT+ travellers may need to investigate the LGBT+ friendliness of a destination beforehand, and in some cases may even need to hide their sexual orientation for safety reasons (Hughes, 2006). In interpersonal interactions, heterosexuals usually do not have to worry about being questioned or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, and naturally connect and socialise with service staff and other visitors. Same-sex couples, on the other hand, may need to consider the reactions of service staff and may even experience a decline in service quality.

Heteronormativity also has implications for tourism policies and services. Policies and services within the tourism industry are often designed with heteronormative families in mind, which can lead to LGBT+ travellers feeling uncomfortable or non-inclusive when receiving services (Usai et al., 2022). For example, hotel booking systems and marketing materials often showcase heterosexual couples or families rather than diverse relationship patterns.

By highlighting these dimensions, we can better understand how deeply ingrained societal norms shape the travel landscapes for LGBT+ communities.


References
Hughes, H.L. (2006) Pink tourism: Holidays of gay men and lesbians. Cabi.
Usai, R., Cai, W. and Wassler, P. (2022) A queer perspective on heteronormativity for LGBT travelers. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1) 3-15.
Solace Global. (2023) Duty of Care for LGBTQ+ business travellers in 2023. Available from: https://www.solaceglobal.com/report/lgbtq-travel-risks-2023/ [accessed 21 May 2024]

I find the report very interesting and believe the discussions of key-element to your conference paper are well-highlighted. However, this comment will suggest further investigation of the topic, focusing on the economic impact of LGBT+ tourism. The comment suggests this would be an interesting add on the report, based on one of the main topics being around the economic benefits of hosting the world cup, and Qatar position.
Analysing the economical benefits of countries with inclusive policies and marketing strategies, targeting LGBT+ tourist, the essay would underline how to implement the work. Hughes (2006) highlights the economically beneficial marketing for destinations through economic analysis.
To gather a broader understanding of the implications of promoting LGBT+ rights and their contribution to the economic development and growth. The LGBT+ community purchasing power is a significant economic influence. Whereas the global LGBT+ market is ranking fourth-largest purchasing power economy. In the US alone is the LGBT+ community buying power over 1 trillion USD (Badgett, 2014)
The economic loss from discrimination against the LGBT+ community, ultimately lose many tourist destinations a lot of income. The loss being based on anti-gay laws, preventing this customer segment in partaking. The economic loss of 12 English speaking country of Caribbeans are potentially losing 4.4 billion USD annually (Carroll & Mendos, 2017).
On the other hand, countries that conduct a inclusive tourism are increasing their local economies, including the LGBT+ tourist. Setting up a travel, people tend to plan a lot beforehand, because of the unknow environment, whereas safety is a big deal. Thereby, are countries with positively social attitudes and inclusive laws much more attractive to the LGBT+ community (Badgett et al., 2019)
Studies have found that there is a positive correlation between LGBT+ rights and economic growth. The countries that are respecting LGBT+ rights often experience better human development index, economic growth and higher GPD per city (Healy et al., 2014)
The legal rights of the LGBT+ individuals in emerging economies are often associated with an economic competitiveness increase, ultimately attracting foreign investments (Badgett et al., 2019)

Bagett, M. V. L. (2014). The economic cost of stigma and the exclusion of LGBT people: A case study of India. World Bank. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/527261468035379692/the-economic-cost-of-stigma-and-the-exclusion-of-lgbt-people-a-case-study-of-india
Badgett, M. V. L., Waaldijk, K., & van der Meulen Rodgers, Y. (2019). The relationship between LGBT inclusion and economic development: Macro-level evidence. World Development, 120(120), pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.03.011
Caroll, A., & Mendos, L. R. (2017). State-sponsored homophobia 2017: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: Criminalisation, protection and recognition. ILGA. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aengus-Carroll/publication/324861896_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2017_A_world_survey_of_sexual_orientation_laws_criminalisation_protection_and_recognition/links/5ae831e40f7e9b837d3988c2/State-Sponsored-Homophobia-2017-A-world-survey-of-sexual-orientation-laws-criminalisation-protection-and-recognition.pdf
Healy, G., Tatli, A., Forson, C. and Öztürk, M. B. (2024). Introduction – the pervasive nature of inequalities. Elgaronline. Avaiable at: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800886605.00008
Hughes, H. L. (2006). Pink tourism: Holidays of gay men and lesbians. Cambridge, MA: Cabi Publishing. Available at: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.1079/9781845930769.0000

This paper discusses the difficulties that LGBT+ individuals encounter in the tourism industry. Although it brings attention to different obstacles, it encourages further exploration of other aspects such as the financial consequences, emotional strain, and the influence of technology.

LGBT+ tourism is an important participant in the global tourism market, making up over 6% of the total market share (Ram et al., 2019). Countries that have embraced progressive policies towards LGBT+ individuals not only attract a larger number of tourists, but also experience substantial economic advantages. According to Tesshusa (2020), inclusive tourism policies have the potential to improve a destination's brand image by promoting inclusiveness, tolerance, and diversity. This positive representation appeals to a wider variety of tourists, resulting in increased economic benefits. Encouraging LGBT+ inclusive tourism can act as a powerful economic transport for destinations that are open to embracing inclusive practices.

Another important aspect to consider is the psychological impact that potential discrimination can have on LGBT+ travellers. Encountering homophobia can be a source of stress and anxiety, which can have an impact on travel decisions and overall mental well-being. The stress experienced by individuals in regions with restrictive laws and hostile social environments can discourage LGBT+ individuals from travelling. To effectively tackle these concerns, it is crucial to recognise the impact of travel-related stressors on LGBT+ individuals and implement supportive measures to reduce their worries. Offering concise details about LGBT+ inclusive destinations and demonstrating visible support may reduce stress and improve travel experiences (Medina and Mahowald, 2023),

In addition, technology is crucial in increasing awareness and influencing attitudes towards LGBT+ issues. Digital platforms and social media provide valuable resources for LGBT+ travelers looking for safe and inclusive destinations. These platforms offer real-time information, peer reviews, and support networks to ensure a positive travel experience. Tesshusa (2020) highlights the importance of these platforms in reducing risks by offering trustworthy information on local laws, social attitudes, and safe spaces. Promoting the development of inclusive travel apps and websites can empower LGBT+ tourists, guaranteeing they have the necessary resources and support at their disposal. This can greatly enhance their travel experiences, creating a sense of security and a warm reception.

In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges encountered in LGBT+ tourism, it is crucial to consider the economic benefits, psychological impacts, and the role of technology. By examining these factors, we can develop a more holistic perspective. This comprehensive approach can offer valuable insights to develop improved strategies for promoting and safeguarding LGBT+ travellers worldwide, fostering a more inclusive and welcoming global tourism industry.

References:

Ram, Y., Kama, A., Mizrachi, I., & Hall, C. M. (2019). The benefits of an LGBT-inclusive tourist destination. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 14, 100374. Available from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212571X18304396?via%3Dihub [accessed 24 May 2024].

Tesshusa. (2020). How has technology influenced the rise of LGBT tourism? Tourism Marketing and Management. Available from https://www.tourismmarketingandmanagement.com/2020/01/10/how-has-technology-influenced-the-rise-of-lgbt-tourism/ [accessed 24 May 2024].

Medina, C., & Mahowald, L. (2023) Discrimination and Barriers to Well-Being: The State of the LGBTQI+ Community in 2022. Available from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/state-lgbtq-community-2020/ [accessed 24 May 2024].