Safe travel destinations for LGBT people? There’s an app for that now
- The GeoSure app ranks 30,000 neighbourhoods on a scale from 1 to 100 using crime, economic and other data; the lower the score, the safer the area
- We highlight some of the safest places to visit if you are LGBT
The power of the pink dollar is growing for the travel industry. LGBT travellers spend US$211 billion annually, according to research by specialist consultants Out Now, and this is a niche market the industry is tapping into.
“The LGBTQ community has 23 per cent more disposable income than their heterosexual counterparts, they travel more frequently and spend more when in resorts,” says Darren Burn, the managing director of TravelGay.com, a gay travel, entertainment and lifestyle guide, and OutOfOffice.com, which arranges tailor-made holidays and gay group trips.
Safety is one of the key concerns of LGBT travellers, and Geosure, a technology company based in the United States, is attempting to tackle the issue. Its team of developers has spent the past four years creating a platform on its app that gives neighbourhood-level real-time LGBT safety ratings for more than 30,000 places worldwide.
“Safety is central to travel and when you can promote it, it takes away the anxiety,” says GeoSure CEO Michael Becker. “We want people to be more confident and inspired about travelling to any part of the world. We want to encourage travel in an informed, engaged and empowered way.”
“Keep in mind there are still more than 70 countries worldwide that criminalise same-sex relationships,” says John Tanzella, president of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (ILGTA). “And people who are gender nonconforming are more likely to be targeted.”