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The Risk Map 2024 from a LGBTQ+ Perspective
The current and future LGBTQ+ Risk Map
As a company that evaluates risk for leisure and business travellers, we provide country dossiers that evaluate risk to travellers according to more than 80 risk criteria. This year we would like to shed some light on the risks travel may pose for a community that is a very attractive target group for organized travel: LGBTQ+.
Therefore, in addition to our annual risk map, we have published a LGBTQ+ Risk Map that explicitly rates the risk for travellers that belong to this community. We are fully aware of the challenges that this poses: Firstly, no country is monolithic and there are in general significant differences between the attitude to LGBTQ+ in rural areas and cities. Secondly, there may be significant differences between official policy, rules and regulations and the experience of the community in their everyday life. There are countries that have extremely strict laws regarding homosexuality where nevertheless a very active underground gay scene is thriving. Thirdly, the situation for holiday and/or business travellers may differ significantly from those of locals and immigrants.
With all these caveats in mind, we have nevertheless decided to base our 2024 LGBTQ+ Risk Map on a more legalistic point of view. With the help of local LGBTQ+ associations and the community at large, we will however work on a modified Risk Map that will strongly take the actual situation of the LGBTQ+ community into account.
We have presented our LGBTQ+ risk map at the 2024 ITB in Berlin. Please take a look at the presentation!
Level 1 (dark green)
- Low risk; LGBTQ+ travellersrarely encounter issues
- Generally positive perceptions of LGBTQ+ individuals
Level 2 (light green)
- Legal, but societal perceptions are not always positive, especially outside of cities. Negative attitudes mostly affect the local population
- LGBTQ+ travellersrarely encounter issues
- PDA can lead to problems or unwanted attention
Level 3 (yellow)
- Legal, but discrimination present (e.g. same-sex marriages/partnerships not recognised, couples denied accommodation in hotels, difficulties accessing medical care, etc.)
- Structural homophobia/transphobia (e.g. discrimination when dealing with the police and authorities), including structural violence
- Prosecution based on moral laws / fines
Level 4 (red)
- Illegal
- wearing clothes that do not match the gender assigned at birth is criminalised/illegal
- LGBTQ+ travellersare at risk of persecution, arrest, and/or deportation
- Alternative gender markers on travel documents areillegal or not recognized
Level 5 (dark red)
- Illegal
- Sexual and gender minorities may face imprisonment (including life sentences), corporal punishment, and the death penalty