The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association’s (IGLTA) 2023 Global Convention will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from October 4-7. IGLTA is proud to celebrate its 40th anniversary in the Caribbean destination, an area where the association has not held a convention since 1985, which also took place in Puerto Rico.
The destination stands out in the Caribbean for its lively LGBTQ+ scene and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Puerto Rico offers a unique blend of Spanish, Taino and African heritages, which are reflected in its vibrant arts, music, and cuisine. Holding our signature educational and networking event there provides the great potential of making a strong, positive impact, not only on their local LGBTQ+ communities, but on LGBTQ+ tourism throughout the Caribbean,” says IGLTA Board Chair, Felipe Cardenas.
Discover Puerto Rico began its work in supporting the LGBTQ+ community from its launch in 2018. A year later, research showed that 19% of LGBTQ+ travellers identified Puerto Rico as an LGBTQ+ welcoming destination. In 2020, that number increased to 41%.
The island achieved this success through consulting with the community and working in partnership with LGBTQ+ agency, HospitableMe. Noting education as the first step toward change, the DMO provided teams with training around LGBTQ+ language, imagery, market, history, biology and evolving industry standards for how to make LGBTQ+ people feel more welcomed and included.
