Travel Proud: everything you need to know

We filter places, not people. Through our Travel Proud programme, we’re helping LGBTQ+ travellers find properties that have taken extra steps designed to help them better understand their needs.

We want everyone to be able to enjoy travel to the fullest. And we really do mean everyone, no matter who you are or who you love. Yet our research shows that more than half of LGBTQ+ people have experienced discrimination while travelling. Travel Proud is our way of trying to change that. Our free Travel Proud training gives accommodation providers a fresh perspective on LGBTQ+ travellers’ challenges, and provides practical suggestions for how to make all their guests feel truly welcome.

Travel Proud training

The core of our Travel Proud programme and the first step for an accommodation partner to be recognised with a Travel Proud badge is a 90-minute online inclusive hospitality training session that we make available to all of our accommodation partners in partnership with HospitableMe. Focusing on the unique challenges and barriers that LGBTQ+ communities face when travelling, the goal of the training is to help hoteliers and accommodation providers see things from a different perspective and provide some practical skills and techniques that partners can immediately put into practice to help contribute to guests encountering a more inclusive experience. 

The training is available in 11 languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Croatian, Japanese, Greek, Portuguese, Thai, German and French. There are now more than 150,000 Travel Proud properties globally, with Travel Proud stays available in 163 countries and territories and more than 20,000 cities and destinations.

Putting Travel Proud training into practice

After completing the online course, they make a commitment to put what they’ve learned into practice and to make the Travel Proud Customer Toolkit available to all guest-facing staff. The property then receives the Travel Proud badge on their property page on Booking.com. The training is available free of charge to all of our accommodation partners and includes access to additional resources, such as the toolkit mentioned above, which outlines simple steps our partners can continue to take to help everyone feel truly welcome.

How to find Travel Proud properties

Travellers can find Travel Proud properties using the ‘Travel Proud (LGBTQ+ friendly)’ filter which is in the ‘Travel Group' section of filters, or by using the Smart Filters tool and searching for ‘Travel Proud’, 'LGBT friendly’ or other similar terms.

1. Helping LGBTQ+ people choose with confidence

We highlight Travel Proud properties with the Travel Proud rainbow suitcase badge. This signifies that at least one member of staff at the accommodation has completed the free Travel Proud inclusive hospitality training. This also means that they have taken the initiative to learn more about the unique travel experiences and diverse needs of LGBTQ+ travellers. We make these properties easy to find with the ‘Travel Proud / LGBTQ+ friendly’ filter. 

2. Helping accommodation partners be extra welcoming

Delivered with third-party inclusion experts HospitableMe, our Travel Proud training helps accommodation partners to learn more about the unique aspects of LGBTQ+ traveller experiences and the challenges that many still face. It also includes practical tips that they may want to consider implementing at their property to help their LGBTQ+ guests to feel more welcome, including having at least one trained Travel Proud representative that interacts with guests

3. Using inclusive language on our platform

We’re making our platform more welcoming for everyone by using language that’s inclusive. In most cases, you no longer need to choose a gendered title when you make an accommodation booking. When you create a profile you also have a choice of gender options.

Use the Travel Proud filter to find properties that have taken inclusive hospitality training, designed to help them better understand the needs of LGBTQ+ travellers.

Are you an accommodation partner that would like to learn more about taking the Travel Proud training? Visit our dedicated section on the Partner Hub to find out more about the next steps.

If an accommodation doesn’t have a Travel Proud badge, does that mean it’s not inclusive?

No, not at all. We believe that every traveller deserves to be treated with the same respect and consideration, and that is a standard to which we hold all of our accommodation partners. As such, we do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, hate speech, manipulation, physical violence or any other form of threatening or abusive behaviour – that goes for travellers and partners alike. We have dedicated procedures in place to help support accordingly and to take any necessary actions, with our customer service team available 24/7 to assist.

Who does Booking.com partner with as part of the company’s overall inclusion efforts with LGBTQ+ communities around the world?

Alongside the global leader in inclusive hospitality education and strategy HospitableMe, who we have partnered with to deliver the Travel Proud training since 2021, we also partner with a number of organisations committed to LGBTQ+ inclusive travel experiences, including:

• IGLTA –  the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association and world's leading network of LGBTQ+ welcoming tourism businesses
• Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center – an NYC-based centre that preserves, advances and celebrates the legacy of the historic Stonewall Rebellion and pioneers who shaped the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement
• Pride Amsterdam – where Booking.com is the main sponsor

What research has Booking.com done into the experiences of LGTBQ+ travellers?

We have conducted five studies into the experiences and attitudes of LGBTQ+ travellers since the Travel Proud programme launched in 2021. In our latest Travel Proud research, more than 13,300 respondents who self-identified as LGBTQ+ were surveyed across 19 countries and territories across the globe.

Is Booking.com only focusing on the needs of LGBTQ+ travellers?

We are continuously working towards our mission of making it easier for everyone to experience the world. To that end, we also believe that by helping to make travel more inclusive for LGBTQ+ communities, we are ultimately helping make travel more welcoming and inclusive for all travellers, including those that may not identify as LGBTQ+.