Until a few days ago, a man was detained in a prison in Turkey for “looking gay.” His name is Miguel Alvaro Pereira, he is Portuguese and traveled to the East to discover. He ended up in prison. Today, now, in 2023, there are still 62 countries and two national territories in which homosexuality is criminalized and can end in prison or death, as happens – for example – in Iran. Therefore, for travelers of diversity, the issue of safety is key when planning vacations and trips. In fact, according to a Booking.com study, 80% of these travelers now pay attention to this issue, compared to 65% who did so just a year ago. The flourishing of anti-LGBTIQ discourses and discriminatory laws explains this growing fear.
Argentina, with its gender identity and equal marriage laws, stands out in the region as a country that is not only friendly to the LGBT community but also as a place where there are specific proposals for that segment and even a program (Todes bienvenides) that already trained more than 1,300 tourism operators to make the experience pleasant for a historically persecuted and threatened group.
“Tourism in Argentina generated 52 billion dollars in 2022, which is equivalent to almost 10% of GDP,” explains Gustavo Hani, president of the Argentine Chamber of Tourism (CAT). “Tourism generates work and wealth, it has a vital role in our economy because it boosts the economy of cities and towns,” he highlights. And, in that sense, tourism proposals specifically aimed at welcoming travelers of diversity have a key advantage: they are aimed at a segment that earns, spends and travels more than the rest. In fact, if the LGBTIQ community were a country, it would be the fifth largest economy in the world, with a GDP of US$3.6 trillion.
Tours
The data from the Economic Observatory of LGBTIQ Tourism in Argentina (the first and only national observatory of this segment in the world) confirm the economic power and also illustrate their preferences when traveling: cultural and gastronomic tours, visits to natural reserves and outings. Bars and nightclubs are some of the most popular options. “In addition, when asked about the most valued attributes of Argentina, they mention the quality of tourist services, the price-quality relationship and the possibility of meeting new people from the LGBTQ+ community. The majority of LGBTQ+ tourists perceive themselves as luxury tourists,” states the observatory’s 2022 Yearbook.
“We are 6 million community travelers locally, and half a million who come from all over the world. And this segment of travelers grew 20% in just one year,” summarizes Pablo De Luca, president of the Argentine Chamber of Gay Lesbian Tourism (CCGLAR) and who, for almost twenty years, has organized the GNetwork 360 international conference in Buenos Aires. which was held these days at the Alvear Icon. There were conferences in sign language, exhibitions by Paralympic athletes, experiences of labor inclusion of the LGBTIQ+ community in large companies, a products and services fair and much more.
stories
Why do diversity tourists come to the country? Many people travel to participate in specific events such as the Pride March (in June), the LGBTIQ games or directly to get married. Laetitia Orsetti is a Texan of French descent who fell in love with Argentina from her first trip and stayed here forever. She is the director of Fabulous Weddings, which is dedicated to organizing wedding trips for people who – for legal reasons – cannot get married in their countries of origin but can in Argentina. “They come from Peru, Paraguay but also from Russia,” she says.
The city of Buenos Aires has been welcoming these couples for years, but so has Rosario and, shortly, so will the province of Misiones with a promising proposal: wedding in the jungle. According to José María Arrúa, provincial tourism minister, “we receive contingents of people who come from Paraguay or Peru (where equal marriage does not exist) and we welcome them. We have trained our tour operators, hotel and park people to receive you accordingly. And the good thing about these wedding trips is that they activate the entire economy because we talk about accommodation, catering, photography, clothing and much more,” he enthuses.
All voices, all. Cafes, discos and also tours of neighborhoods such as San Telmo are some of the proposals that await diverse travelers in the city of Buenos Aires. One of them is Lunfarda Travel, the venture created in the midst of a pandemic and by the tourism guide Mariana Radisic Koliren. Fed up with her superiors telling her for years that “there was no market” for the ideas she wanted to promote, she invested all her savings in a more than original idea: identity tours, walks recovering so many lost stories and hidden.
“Buenos Aires loves to think of itself as white and European, but it is much more than that. Diversity is wealth and hence also the name of this initiative, because voices from Italian, indigenous peoples, and Afro languages are mixed in lunfardo,” he clarifies. Today it receives visitors mainly from abroad and the Afro walk through San Telmo is guided by people of African descent. It is focused on these thematic walks spreading stories but also serving to create jobs for the people of the group and to promote small businesses from marginalized communities, no matter if a cafe or a craft store. “Because visibility without economic prosperity does not work,” she says, convinced.
The inclusive travel industry met again in Buenos Aires and with an international conference. They were four intense days of listening and conversation, of data and stories, of debates and authentic welcomes. It seems that in the former city of tango and compadritos, the rainbow will continue to shine like never before.
by Fernanda Sández
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