To proote greater awareness about the need for travel and tourism industry in India to be inclusive, the third edition of the LGBTQ+ Travel Symposium was organised by the IGLTA Foundation in New Delhi on Thursday.
The symposium gathered several leaders of the Indian travel, tourism and hospitality industry, who support the cause of LGBTQ+ travel in India.
The event began with an introductory and welcome speech by LoAnn Halden, Vice President of Communications at IGLTA, which is the leading global association of LGBTQ+ travel trade. “We recently updated the IGLTA mission to reflect our 2030 strategic plan. IGLTA exists to enable authentic travel that enriches lives and connects the LGBTQ+ community and tourism industry. IGLTA is indeed a business association, one that has existed for more than 40 years to create a network of safe spaces and experiences for LGBTQ+ travellers around the world,” Halden told the gathering.
LoAnn Halden
Halden added that the objective of IGLTA and its activities is not just to create a safe travel space for travellers, but also be a source of business opportunity for professionals from all sectors, from travel agents and tour operators to travel media, transportation, and hotels.
“The goal of this year was to build on the conversations and to understand the segment better. It was also to build a better understanding with the tour operators and Indian businesses. Each year there is a deepening of conversation revolving around inclusivity and LGBTQ+ tourism and marketing. India as a market for LGBTQ+ travellers is evolving and is becoming more welcoming. The country is coming up with more policies and marketing strategies and it can turn out to be a learning lesson for other countries in the coming years,” Halden told India Outbound, the Media Partner for the symposium.
Vivek Shukla
“IGLTA 2025 is not just a symposium, it is a movement, a movement towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming world for all travellers regardless of their identity. This heritage of inclusion serves as an inspiring foundation as India’s journey towards gender diversity continues to evolve. The power of the pink economy is a catalyst for growth. The pink economy is driven by the purchasing power of the LGBTQ+ community and is emerging as a powerful catalyst for economic growth. In India alone, this community accounts for an estimated 140 million individuals,” Vivek Shukla, CEO, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, which had hosted the event, said in his address.
Among other key speakers were Sean Howell, CEO, Buffalo Market, a distributor of food and beverages based in San Francisco, and Billy Kolber, co-founder and head of strategy of Hospitable Me, a German company that specialises in promoting inclusive hospitality. Howell talked about the need for more ambassadors and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in India that would help create jobs with safe spaces for the people of the community. In his address, Kolber spoke of the importance of inclusivity in communication, highlighting that there were two different languages, specific language and inclusive language.
The symposium featured two engaging panels. The first was about ‘gender-diverse experiences while travelling, moderated by Sonali Khan, Coordinator, IGLTA Foundation, and panellists included Rudrani Chhetri, Founder, Mitr Trust; Aashin Moitra, General Manager, Kitty Su India; and Rio, Queer Advocate. Second was about ‘Untapped potential of LGBTQIA+ marketing in Indian travel and hospitality,’ moderated by Swati Jain, Founder & Director, Katha Studio, and panellists included Arko Sinha, Assistant Manager, KittySu India; Gaurav Singh, Co-founder of Rad Brand Studio; and Dan Rios, Director, LGBTQ+ Tourism Marketing, Miami.
In panel discussions, panellists from the community talked about their challenges while travelling and suggested some solutions. The panellists also underlined that more LGBTQ+ friendly policies should be introduced for making their travel experience inclusive, diverse, and safe.
Parth Patnaik, Membership Development Manager, IGLTA in India, says he has observed a growth in awareness about the issue over past year.
Parth Patnaik
“These symposiums are very important. Every year we are getting closer to become a more and more inclusive country. In last one year I would say we have started the conversations with a lot of businesses across India and more and more people are at least intrigued. Even if they are not joining the membership, they are at least intrigued to know more about this travel segment, to know more about the community and how to actually cater to this community,’’ Patnaik tells India Outbound.
Kunal Vasudeva, Co-Founder, India School of Hospitality, a hospitality training institute located in Gurgaon near Delhi, was also a keynote speaker at the symposium. In his address, Vasudeva said that while India prided itself on being a country that considers guests as divine, it was not very welcoming towards the LGBTQ+ community. He urged the upcoming generations to be more welcoming and respectful towards the LGBTQ+ community and make their travel in India a good experience for them.
