Even as the world becomes more open, a survey by Booking.com reveals that LGBTQ+ travellers still feel compelled to conceal their identity while travelling. Only 45% of Thai LGBTQ+ travellers disclose their 'true' selves when travelling. 60% are willing to hide their identity in order to fully immerse themselves in their dream destination. 47% feel safer asking AI sensitive questions about the local LGBTQ+ community than asking other people directly.
In late July through early August 2026, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, will host WorldPride 2026 along the city's iconic canal network, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the world's first marriage equality law, which was enacted in 2001. Although the world has become more inclusive through such progress and legislation, LGBTQ+ travellers continue to face challenges while on the road. Booking.com has released its 2026 LGBTQ+ Travel Experience Survey*, drawn from responses by 13,300 LGBTQ+ travellers across 19 countries worldwide, highlighting the diverse range of experiences they encountered.
What they must trade away in order to safely explore the world. LGBTQ+ travellers around the world still feel burdened by the need to conceal their sexual identity while travelling — for safety and to avoid negative experiences at certain destinations.
What stands out in this year's report is that the LGBTQ+ travellers who reported the fewest negative experiences and expressed the greatest confidence while travelling were those who did not disclose their 'true' identity. This group had the lowest likelihood of encountering negative experiences related to their sexual orientation during travel in the past 12 months (34%, compared with 62% of LGBTQ+ travellers globally, rising to 73% among LGBTQ+ travellers who identified as transgender). This underscores that their heightened sense of safety was a direct result of successfully concealing their identity.
The decision to partially conceal their identity — whether by choice or by necessity — is a sad reality shared by the majority of LGBTQ+ travellers who participated in the survey. Only 45% of Thai respondents are open about their identity when travelling (compared with 31% of respondents globally), versus 83% who are open with close friends. That figure climbs even higher when asked about destinations they wish to visit: 60% are willing to hide their identity in exchange for the chance to visit their dream destination, demonstrating that for many people, the choice between exploring the world and being fully oneself remains a significant trade-off.
Transgender travellers and their heightened caution and anxiety. 65% of Thai LGBTQ+ travellers say they must exercise greater caution than before, through measures such as sharing their real-time location with trusted contacts for peace of mind (28%), deleting dating applications before crossing international borders (23%), and using a VPN to conceal their online communications or to access blocked websites (25%). In addition, 61% of them always scan their surroundings before showing affection towards a partner in public.
These findings also reveal specific challenges faced by transgender travellers. They are the only group in which the proportion of those feeling more anxious about travelling has increased — while other groups have grown more relaxed about travelling in recent years. 36% of Thai travellers feel more anxious than before, compared with the global traveller average of 27% and 43% in Asia. Meanwhile, the majority of respondents feel that 'having to be outside in public at night' is the situation that causes the most anxiety (35% of Thai travellers versus 22% of travellers globally). However, for transgender travellers, using gender-segregated facilities (toilets or changing rooms) is the primary source of anxiety (24%), reflecting a real travel experience that other groups of travellers do not face with the same intensity.
How the travel industry and AI tools can build confidence for LGBTQ+ travellers. Despite the challenges they continue to face, the survey also reflects positive trends. 94% of Thai LGBTQ+ travellers reported having positive experiences related to their gender identity while travelling in the past year. These included being treated with respect by travel industry professionals, such as staff using the correct pronouns for them (54%), equality symbols at accommodations such as Pride flags or rainbow flags (38%), gender-neutral toilets (38%), and staff who are themselves members of the LGBTQ+ community (50%). Overall, 93% of Thai LGBTQ+ travellers believe that societal acceptance of gender diversity has improved in recent years.
Notably, however, the digital tools that Thai LGBTQ+ travellers use to enhance safety and reduce risk while travelling are increasingly playing an important role in helping them find key information about accessing local communities at their destination, as well as helping build confidence when choosing accommodations or tourist attractions. 89% of Thai LGBTQ+ travellers used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help plan their trips over the past year. 58% trust that AI can provide travel advice free from bias when their gender identity is involved. 50% view AI as effective in helping find LGBTQ+-friendly venues — venues that are niche and often difficult to discover through conventional search tools. 47% feel safer asking AI sensitive questions about the local LGBTQ+ community than asking other people directly. 44% report that filters explicitly labelled as inclusive or 'LGBTQ+-friendly' on online travel booking platforms make it significantly easier for them to search and book their travels.
"This year's report demonstrates why our Travel Proud programme continues to be as important as ever. We are encouraged to see this initiative grow consistently over the five years since it launched in 2021, and to receive such strong support from our partners around the world. The training is now available in 11 languages and more than 142,000 properties have joined, enabling travellers to find LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations in over 20,000 cities and destinations worldwide," said Matthias Schmid, SVP of Accommodations at Booking.com.
"Despite the various challenges and the additional precautions LGBTQ+ travellers must take for their safety, we remain inspired by the 66% of travellers worldwide who prioritise trips on which they can be 100% themselves and continue to travel with full Pride," Matthias Schmid added. Through the Travel Proud filter and badge on Booking.com, millions of travellers can more easily find LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations — simply by selecting the 'Travel Proud' (LGBTQ+-friendly) filter or looking for the rainbow suitcase icon on a property's page.
This survey was conducted by Booking.com, polling a sample of 13,331 travellers who identified as LGBTQ+ from 19 countries and territories as follows: Argentina (222), Australia (1,041), Brazil (1,021), Canada (839), Colombia (527), France (1,031), Germany (1,035), India (1,010), Italy (1,044), Japan (521), Mexico (525), the Netherlands (508), New Zealand (218), Singapore (219), Spain (1,088), Taiwan (216), Thailand (208), the United Kingdom (1,019), and the United States (1,039). Respondents were required to be aged 18 or over, to have taken at least one overnight leisure trip in the past 12 months, and to have been a primary decision-maker and planner for their travel. The survey was conducted online in February and March 2026.
