Pride Month 2025: This travel platform is empowering LGBTQ+ travellers in India through its new program

Travel should be a joyful and liberating experience for everyone—but for LGBTQ+ travellers, it often requires extra preparation to ensure safety, comfort, and authenticity.

A travel proud initiative opens new doors

A recent study by Booking.com reveals that 86% of LGBTQ+ travellers in India say their identity influences how they prepare for a trip, with three in four considering whether they can truly be themselves while on the road. This added layer of planning not only ensures peace of mind but also makes each journey feel all the more empowering.

Recognising these unique needs, the online travel agency launched its Travel Proud program in 2021 with a clear mission: to make travel more inclusive and welcoming for all, regardless of how people identify or who they love. The initiative offers free inclusive hospitality training for accommodation providers, helping them better understand the challenges LGBTQ+ guests face and how to create a more respectful and safe environment.

This Pride Month, the platform is celebrating a remarkable milestone—there are now more than 100,000 Travel Proud-certified properties in over 150 countries and 16,000 cities worldwide. The growth is striking, with a 49 percent global increase in certified properties over the past year alone. In India, the rise is even more encouraging, with a 51percent year-over-year increase in Travel Proud properties, reflecting a growing commitment to inclusive travel experiences within the country.

For Indian LGBTQ+ travellers, this shift is more than symbolic. With more accommodations openly embracing inclusivity, 77 percent say they feel more comfortable travelling today, a sign that the industry’s efforts are genuinely making a difference.

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