Britain most popular European destination for American LGBTQ visitors

New research by VisitBritain shows that Britain is the most popular European destination for American LGBTQ travelers, beating all other countries surveyed to the top rank, followed by France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Ireland.

Britain also scored highly with LGBTQ travelers on welcome, with 95% agreeing that Britain is a "LGBTQ-welcoming place to travel."

News provided by

VisitBritain

Jul 09, 2019, 11:28 ET

NEW YORK, July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'LGBTQ Leisure Travel to Britain' research, carried out by Community Marketing & Insights, found that Britain's historical and cultural attractions were found to be the top travel motivators overall for LGBTQ visitors with 76% sightseeing at famous buildings and monuments and 71% visiting museums and art galleries on their trip. The survey also found that American LGBTQ visitors enjoyed the vibrancy of Britain's cities with London, Edinburgh, Bath, Glasgow and Manchester the top five cities for overnight visits.

VisitBritain Senior Vice President for the Americas Paul Gauger said:
"It is no wonder Britain is such a popular destination for the LGBTQ community with our vibrant cities, unparalleled cultural offering, stunning countryside and world-class attractions.

"We also know that global competition for visitors is fierce and people have a lot of choice. We must continue to highlight the equality and openness of Britain while addressing barriers to travel, promoting our message of welcome and value and highlighting experiences that research shows appeal to LGBTQ visitors from America.

"Crucially these insights can help us link the motivations and inspirations for LGBTQ travel with the amazing destinations, activities and attractions that can only be experienced in Britain."

Britain's countryside and outdoor activities appealed strongly to women and two thirds were interested in exploring small towns or the countryside in Britain.

Going to the theatre was also cited as an influencer particularly for male visitors and LGBTQ-themed theatre was considered an important motivator for repeat visits to Britain.

Younger LGBTQ visitors were also attracted to quirky attractions and experiences in Britain, such as unusual tours, themed activities and discovering hidden gems.

The research found that while summer is the most popular time of year for the LGTBQ community to travel to Britain for a vacation, spring and autumn also featured highly, demonstrating the potential to drive more seasonal tourism growth.

However, Britain was seen as an expensive destination with the LGBTQ visitors surveyed, citing this as the top reason that might prevent them taking a vacation.

Mr Gauger said:
"Britain's accommodation, dining and visitor attractions are continuing to offer great deals for visitors, and with a favourable exchange rate we are promoting a message of value across our activity in the US to drive bookings. Also, with more direct airline routes and more daily flights from the US on offer, along with a calendar of exciting events throughout the year, it's really a great time to book a trip now."

VisitBritain is boosting awareness of Britain internationally as a LGTBQ friendly and welcoming destination, promoting equality and diversity through its Love is GREAT Britain campaign, now in its fifth year. The recent UK presence at WorldPride 2019 in New York City was among the 29 LGBTQ+ events and activities that are taking place in 15 cities across the Americas.

Forward flight bookings from the US to the UK are currently tracking ahead 4% for arrivals from June to August this year compared to the same period in 2018.

The US is Britain's top inbound market for both visits and spend. VisitBritain is expecting 3.9 million visits overall from the US this year with visitors forecast to spend £3.5 billion.

SOURCE VisitBritain