The three-day convention kicks off on Wednesday and runs through Friday, to be followed this weekend by Rainbow Festa, Osaka’s Pride event, where IGLTA will also host a pavilion.
Japan’s third largest city with some 2.75 million people, Osaka was an early capital of the country dating back to the 7th century. More recently, it has wowed modern visitors to Japan with its stellar street food scene and its less-hectic-than-Tokyo urban vibe. Western traveler interest has also been piqued by the runaway success of FX’s “Shōgun” miniseries, which is partly set in 17th century Osaka.
Osaka’s Convention and Tourism Bureau joined IGLTA in 2018 and soon thereafter began lobbying to host the organization’s yearly conference, which travels to a different host city every year. OCTB President Hiroshi Mizohata recently told the Japan Times that Osaka’s “historically being a city of diversity and openness to the world” makes it a great fit for the event.
Osaka in 2021 became the first locality in Japan to launch an official LGBTQ tourism portal, Visit Gay Osaka. The city is said to be home to more than 100 gays bars, mostly spread across its Doyama, Namba, and Shin Sekai districts.
“To me, the IGLTA Global Convention being held in Osaka means that LGBTQ+ tourism will be fully launched in Japan,” said Shintaro Koizumi, president of luxury tour operator Out Asia Travel, who will receive IGLTA’s Pioneer Award this week for his key role in bringing the convention to Japan.
While attitudes about LGBTQ issues are changing quickly in Japanese society — as evidenced, for instance, by the surprise popularity of Netflix’s new Japan-set gay reality series “The Boyfriend” — the country’s travel community is not yet as integrated into the world market as many locals believe it can be.
“Most of our local queer community and hospitality professionals still do not know about IGLTA, so this will be a great way to showcase who IGLTA is and what we do throughout the convention,” said Shiho Ikeuchi, a longtime IGLTA board member and the general manager of the Ace Hotel Kyoto, one of that city’s most stylish and gay-popular hotels.
“There has been much progress in Japan for the past 10 years,” she said. “LGBTQ+ issues are no longer invisible, and there have been many discussions everywhere about how we can be more diverse, equal, and inclusive. We are proud of our power of hospitality, and we would like all visitors to Japan to experience the essence of it during their time here.”
Aside from offering unique networking opportunities for big players and small in the LGBTQ travel space, this week’s IGLTA convention will include sessions and seminars that highlight various aspects of the industry, including masterclasses in empowering the BIPOC travel community and being an accountable ally of trans and gender diverse travelers.
Registration for this year’s IGLTA convention in Osaka has already hit 550, tying the record the organization set two years ago in Milan, Italy, for its largest-ever convention outside of North America. Some 300 companies from 49 countries will be represented in Osaka, about a quarter from Japan and around a third from across Asia and the Middle East.
Founded in 1983 and based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., IGLTA’s members hail from more than 80 countries and include LGBTQ and friendly destinations, accommodations, tour operators, and travel advisors. The group offers free travel resources and promotes equality and safety in LGBTQ tourism around the world.
Tags: Osaka’s Convention and Tourism Bureau, IGLTA Global Convention, Shiho Ikeuchi, LGBTQ travel
