As International LGTBIQ+ Pride Day approaches on June 28, many tourists seek different destinations to celebrate. Whether traveling alone, with friends, or with a partner, feeling safe in their chosen destination is a top priority. To help with this, Statista has created a map using data from the Gay Travel Index of the Spartacus portal. This map uses colors to indicate the best and worst countries for LGTBIQ+ travelers.
The safety of tourist destinations for the LGTBIQ+ community varies significantly worldwide and is influenced by legal, social, and cultural factors. According to the 2024 edition of the Gay Travel Index, Canada is ranked the safest tourist destination, sharing the top spot with Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain, all of which have 12 points.
Although Malta was alone at the top of the list last year, it shares the top spot with other countries this year. It's also worth noting the growth of Spain as an LGBT-friendly destination. In 2023, Spain was in fourth place with 10 points, but this year, it is in first place with 12 points.
A new addition this year, according to Statista, is that Uruguay is the first Latin American country to appear in the classification. It shares the third position with Denmark, Iceland, Germany, and Norway, with 10 points each. On the opposite end, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chechnya, and Afghanistan are considered the most unsafe tourist destinations for LGTBIQ+ travelers, with -21 points each.
The Gay Travel Index has compared 213 countries and regions this year, since 2012, based on the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex, and queer people in their territories. It has analyzed 18 categories, from adoption to religious influence, to do this.
The 10 safest countries for LGTBIQ+ travelers
Canada
Malta
New Zealand
Portugal
Spain
Australia
Switzerland
Denmark
Germany
Iceland
The 5 tourist destinations with the highest risk for LGTBIQ+ travelers
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Chechnya
Afghanistan
Yemen