At Independent Travel we believe that everyone has the right to explore the world without fear or prejudice. Indeed, I feel very strongly that travel has a unique ability to promote kindness, empathy and understanding. Unfortunately, there are still barriers that members of the LGBTQ+ community face to travelling freely as themselves. A number of countries that are popular holiday destinations sadly have repressive laws around homosexuality and diverse gender expression, or display social attitudes that can make simply being yourself feel uncomfortable or even dangerous.
So for this newsletter I've asked my friend and LGBTQ+ travel specialist Aidy Smith to take the helm and share his thoughts on destinations that celebrate inclusivity and acceptance.
Over to Aidy…
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The Treehouse Hotel is one of my favourite places to stay in London and has championed our community for years. From mid-August, you'll be able to enjoy my cocktails at The Nest, the 16th-floor rooftop, with four serves that each toast a moment in LGBTQ+ history: the Rosita, the Pink Pony, the Caliente and the Forbidden Fruit. £1 from each one goes straight to the Attitude Magazine Foundation.
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It has been a sobering few weeks for the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this month, Turkey and Egypt turned away a cruise ship carrying 1,900 LGBTQ+ passengers, citing "moral values". As I wrote at the time, that decision punishes their own ports far more than any passenger. Then, last weekend, joy turned to heartbreak at Berlin's Christopher Street Day, when a van was driven into the crowd near Tiergarten, killing one person and injuring many more. Our thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones and everyone there to celebrate.
If history has taught our community anything, it's that we don't retreat in the face of adversity. We come together, and we speak louder. Berlin showed us that within a day: thousands filled Pariser Platz with flowers, flags and quiet defiance. Pride, after all, began as a protest, and this is a protest of love. So this week, the Travel Desk and I knew exactly what to do: celebrate the places that hold their doors wide open, just as Berlin, even in grief, has kept its own.
Some of our community’s favourite havens need no introduction. Amsterdam is hosting WorldPride this summer, and I've spent recent months reviewing LGBTQ+-friendly hotels everywhere from Brighton and Copenhagen to New York, Toronto and Madrid. But some of the most exciting stories right now are being written somewhere new.
Take Vienna. Eurovision landed in May, and as Sara Darling discovered, the contest didn't transform the city so much as amplify what was already there: drag brunches, pub quizzes hosted by six-inch-heel-wearing queens, and a rebellious nightlife scene beneath the Gürtel's railway arches.
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Aidy believes it is now more important than ever that the LGBTQ+ community continues to visit Berlin (Getty)
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Further afield, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to recognise same-sex marriage, a law predicted to boost tourism by $2bn a year. Bangkok's scene is legendary, but expect Chiang Mai (a city I tipped in my emerging hotspots round-up) and the islands to blossom into destination-wedding hotspots for couples across Asia and beyond.
Closer to home, Manchester is ready to snatch England's queer crown from Brighton. Canal Street remains the beating heart, though Liverpool, fresh from hosting UK Pride, may beg to differ. You also don't just need a metropolis to fly the flag: Hebden Bridge, the Yorkshire market town dubbed the "lesbian capital of the UK", pairs activist roots with riverside pubs and pastoral-poem charm.
Across the Atlantic, tiny Provincetown remains a beacon for progress: a Cape Cod town where queer culture isn't a district, it's genuinely part of their DNA.
What links all these places is simple - it's just plain old authenticity. Inclusivity is woven into daily life, not performed for just one month of the year. On that note, it goes without saying: now, more than ever, we should be visiting Berlin too, standing shoulder to shoulder with a city that has spent a century refusing to let hate write its story. Wherever you roam this summer, spend your money in the places that don't ask you to shrink, and tip well when you get there.
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Escape to Barbados from just £1,499pp. Stay at The Sands on an all-inclusive basis and
enjoy crystal-clear waters, great dining and unforgettable sunshine.
Book with Tropical Sky today.
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Lake Como break with flights from just £79pp
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38% off a 4* Cotwolds stay with breakfast
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While travel comes with plenty of big decisions – the destination, the dates, the hotel, the flights – there are lots of little choices that can impact how smoothly your trip goes. From finding a suitcase that won’t buckle under pressure or spill your dirty laundry all over the airport to selecting the perfect travel wallet to keep all your documents in order, a few choice accessories can make things a little easier while travelling.
Packing cubes can go a long way in the organisation stakes, as well as helping you compress your clothes enough to squeeze in an extra outfit or two (you never know when a spare pair of shorts will come in handy). Travel journalist Alessia Armenise rates the Yeti crossroads packing cubes, which she describes as being suitable for every type of travel, adding: “I’ve used them for years and they have never failed me.”
When it comes to comfort, a good travel pillow can be a godsend, whether you’ve an uncooperatively timed flight to contend with or a long train journey ahead of you. Trtl’s travel pillow has become a viral sensation and it took the top spot in our roundup, thanks to its lightweight design and excellent neck support.
Even the type of SPF and insect repellent you choose can have an effect on your everyday experiences while travelling – no one wants to spend their time distracted by how burnt, sticky or bug-bitten their skin has become. Our reviewer has tried a range of facial sunscreens, with Heliocare’s 360 gel oil-free SPF 50 formula being the top choice. When it comes to packing the essentials, little upgrades really can make a big difference.
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