Booking.com chief marketing officer Arjan Dijk discusses the platform’s work to support LGBTQ+ travellers
The term ‘travel’ and its connotations should denote positive experiences, adventure, and enjoyment. Yet for many LGBTQ+ travellers from around the world, the reality of travelling can sometimes paint a different picture, and as someone who belongs to the LGBTQ+ community, this is something close to my heart and something I know that Booking.com can help with.
The travel industry is in a unique position, as it impacts all regions, and its influence transcends international borders – meaning the industry can lead the way in setting the right standards.
One of Booking.com’s big focuses in 2022 has been the ongoing growth and success of our Travel Proud programme to make Booking.com as inclusive a platform as possible. It is our aim to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, so I’m also incredibly proud of the work we’ve been doing to support the LGBTQ+ community.
I believe the travel industry can forge the way for change by taking steps to ensure members of the LGBTQ+ community can enjoy truly inclusive experiences, like everyone, anywhere in the world.
We recently released research which found that 82% of LGBTQ+ travellers have had uncomfortable experiences when travelling, as our aim is always to facilitate smooth and enjoyable travel experiences for all of our customers, regardless of where they come from, who they love or how they identify.
We have continued to optimise our Travel Proud programme (first launched in 2021) to help remove the barriers that LGBTQ+ travellers face by identifying properties that have completed our Proud Hospitality training and made a commitment to work on making sure inclusive hospitality is consistently delivered at their establishment.
Properties can display Booking.com’s Travel Proud badge if they have undergone inclusive hospitality training and have committed to providing an inclusive experience for the LGBTQ+ community.
The goal of the 75-minute online Proud Hospitality training session (developed in partnership with HospitableMe) is to help hospitality professionals understand the challenges and barriers that the LGBTQ+ community face when traveling, providing them with practical skills and techniques that they can immediately put into practice at their property.
The training is available free of charge to all Booking.com accommodation partners globally and includes access to additional resources, such as a Travel Proud Customer Toolkit, which Proud Certified properties are encouraged to make available to all guest-facing staff, so that they can confidently answer questions and provide an even more welcoming experience to their LGBTQ+ guests.
To date, we have rolled the Travel Proud programme out in English and French, with German and Spanish imminent and there are now also over 10,000 Proud Certified properties across 95 countries and territories on our platform that can be identified with the Travel Proud badge – but it’s just the beginning and will definitely be an area for further growth in 2023.