Global perspectives on the safety of travel for LGBTQ+ individuals, as outlined in the ITB Berlin survey
In a world where the safety and rights of LGBTQ+ travellers continue to evolve, the latest LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2025, published by A3M Global Monitoring, provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape. This report, created in collaboration with ITB Berlin and Diversity Tourism, evaluates the perceptions of safety and experiences of queer travellers across various countries.
Canada and Spain emerge as the safest destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers, setting the standard in 2025 for travel safety within the community. These countries are commended for their progressive legal frameworks and traveler-friendly environments that minimize risk for queer tourists.
Dominica is another country highlighted for its progressive legal developments, improving the safety for LGBTQ+ travellers. The global landscape, however, reveals varying degrees of legal and social safety for LGBTQ+ travellers, underscoring the importance of checking country-specific risks before travel.
The LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2025 serves as a valuable guide for travelers, policymakers, and tourism stakeholders, helping them understand evolving risks and advances in LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance worldwide. It provides a reference point to identify safer destinations and to inform travel decisions based on current legal protections and societal acceptance.
| Rank | Country | Noted for LGBTQ+ Travel Safety | |-------|---------|-------------------------------| | 1 | Canada | Leading safety perceptions and legal protections for queer travelers | | 2 | Spain | Set standard for travel safety with supportive legal environment | | N/A | Dominica| Highlighted for progressive legal developments improving safety |
Thomas Boemkes, Managing Director of Diversity Tourism and LGBTQ+ tourism adviser to ITB Berlin, emphasizes the importance of the joint survey in providing safety guidance to LGBTQ+ travellers due to the changing safety situation in various parts of the world.
However, obstacles persist, particularly in the USA, where recognition of non-binary identities has been reversed. Canada and Spain are consistently perceived as safe for LGBTQ+ travel by survey respondents. The USA reflects a deep divide in social acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, with regional differences evident.
In Spain, social acceptance is described as being firmly established, with cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, and areas on the Mediterranean, as well as the Canary Islands, considered particularly LGBTQ+ friendly. The survey targeted queer travellers from the ITB and LGBTQ+ community and contained 16 questions about social acceptance, safety, legal rights, police interactions, healthcare systems, and social network usage.
The survey, titled "Perceptions and Experiences of LGBTQ+ Travellers", was conducted between December 2024 and April 2025. A3M also plans to set up an international network for LGBTQ+ travelers' safety to collect and provide access to experiences, data, and recommendations.
Elsewhere in the world, countries such as Mali, Trinidad and Tobago, and Iraq have criminalized same-sex relationships or reinstated criminal offences, while Germany has strengthened the rights of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people with the new Self-Determination Act. In South America, queer travellers generally experience a high level of tolerance in tourist regions, despite some restrictive legislation. Transgender and intersex people, however, face particular challenges worldwide, such as unrecognised gender entries in passports and untrained staff at security checks.
In conclusion, the LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2025 offers valuable insights into the current state of safety and rights for LGBTQ+ travellers globally. It serves as a vital resource for those planning trips, as well as policymakers and tourism stakeholders aiming to create inclusive and welcoming environments for all travellers.
The LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2025 marks Spain and Canada as top destinations for travelers, noted for their progressive legal frameworks and traveler-friendly environments that minimize risks for LGBTQ+ tourists.
Throughout the world, acceptance and safety for LGBTQ+ travelers vary greatly, as evidenced by the changing laws and social perceptions in countries such as Germany, South America, and many others.
