Travel cos offering LGBTQ-friendly tours

Travel cos offering LGBTQ-friendly tours

The winds of change are blowing for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) community as a few travel agencies are now catering to LGBTQ for their travel plans within the country and overseas. 

‘Indja Pink’ is the pioneer of gay tourism in India and is in existence for a decade now. 

The group has special guest houses, Mister and Art House in Delhi and Mister and Art Haveli in Jaipur and operates across India, only for gay men or bisexuals. 

“The number of gay tourists in Indonesia and Thailand are four times more than India. Even Sri Lanka is more welcoming. There is a lot of ignorance in India, as far as the LGBTQ community is concerned. Unless there is awareness about the LGBTQ community among the masses, we will continue to have this kind of attitude. Metro cities are becoming accepting. However, it still remains a taboo in small towns,” said Director of Indja Pink Sanjay Malhotra. 

COO of Planeta Rosa Varun Lakhotia said, “Many queries drop in my mailbox and message inbox about travel destinations and to make trip plans. But it becomes silent after a couple of days. These queries are received from the community. The reason is obvious that they contemplate over safe and comfortable travel,” said Lakhotia.

Nevertheless, all agencies look up to progressive India, as after the historic verdict by Supreme Court (SC) which struck down Section 377 partially. They stated that it has boosted the tourism sector by 30-40 per cent.

Emphasising on the need to amend provisions in tour and travel laws in India, Brand Ambassador of India at International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and Co-founder of Pink Vibgyor Rajat Singla spoke to Sakal Times.

“The Indian Association Travel Operators (IATO) has not restricted the horizons of travel and tour for LGBTQ community but it has also not provided any specific guidance or taken initiative to amend provisions after the recent SC judgment,” Singla said.

“The response to this tourism has been very positive from travel industry in India. Hotels, guides, travel companies and drivers have supported and encouraged the idea. However, if the government makes better policies and brings changes in provision it will encourage the community tourists more,” said Singla, who established Pink Vibgyor in 2010. 

Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala are on the forefront of LGBTQ travellers and then northeast. All the agencies have confirmed that they work with licensed and gay-friendly guides, drivers and hoteliers. All the stakeholders are given training and sensitised about the community to avoid disrespectful acts. 

Sakal Times spoke to one of the representatives of Pink Vibgyor, Aamir Khan, who guides the tourists in Delhi and Jaipur. He said that localities no more discriminate against them. “Few do ask about their sexual orientation while I am on duty, but the locals never disturb them. They (LGBTQ) don’t look different, they are humans and people treat them normally. Yes, the older generation in small towns have their reservations but the younger generation is more open about it.” 

COMMUNITY LOVES TRAVELLING

-“Resources like these for travelling will be welcome for the community. It becomes uncomfortable when you learn that some property is not accepting you as guests. Once I was travelling with my husband and visited a hotel. They asked whether we need two rooms treating us as bachelors. The questions keep increasing, which makes it uncomfortable,” said Sameer Samudra. 

- “We don’t visit hotels whose brands are unknown or check whether the hotels are gay couple friendly or not. However, if agencies provide a comfortable tour and travel for the community then there is nothing like it. From a business point of view, this will also raise awareness about an evolving market in the travelling sector and pink rupee investment. We love to travel and do so often,” he added. 

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