LGBTQ+ Travel Index -

The LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other non-heterosexual identities) tourism market is a 200 billion-dollar industry. But not all tourist destinations are built equal when it comes to celebrating, facilitating, and welcoming queer communities. Over 100 countries celebrate pride every year, but on the flip side, despite worldwide LGBTQ+ advocacy, in 63 countries homosexuality is still criminalized.

To name the best travel destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers in 2025 we considered six factors: the volume of queer bars and queer-friendly hotels in the city, their average rating, and also the legal rights of LGBTQ+ people in the country and public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in the country.

Key findings:

New York is the best destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, followed by Los Angeles and London
Bangkok and Orlando have the highest volume of LGBTQ+ bars in the study at 87
Lisbon has the highest-rated LGBTQ+ hotels (with an average rating of 9.4 out of 10)
New York has the greatest number of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in the study (478)
Chile has the best legal rights for LGBTQ+ people (scoring a perfect 100 score)
Norway has the best public perception of LGBTQ+ people (scoring 87 out of 100)
Homosexuality is illegal in 11 of the most traveled to destinations in the world – and punishable by death in five

The top destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists

Rather than giving each metric an equal weight in the study, we surveyed 851 adults about their vacation preferences – including 140 members of the LGBTQ+ community. Considering all metrics, the most important factor on average is the legal rights of LGBTQ+ people in the country, followed by public opinion. Highly-rated hotels and the choice of hotels came out as slightly more important than the number and quality of LGBTQ+ bars. You can read more about the weighting in the methodology.

Per category, some cities stood out. In terms of amenities, Bangkok and Orlando have the highest volume of LGBTQ+ bars in the study at 87. Although New York has the greatest number of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in the study (478), it’s Lisbon which has the highest-rated stays (with an average rating of 9.4 out of 10).

Regarding legality and public acceptance, two countries very far from each other are leading the way. Chile has the best legal rights for LGBTQ+ people (scoring a perfect 100 score) and Norway has the best public perception of LGBTQ+ people (scoring 87 out of 100).

But who are the winners overall?

1. New York, United States

Centre to the famous Stonewall riots – considered by many to be the genesis of the gay rights movement – New York City now has one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the world and the largest Transgender population in the U.S.

The NYC Pride March is also the world’s largest pride event and according to Madonna, better than Christmas: “Aside from my birthday, New York Pride is the most important day of the year.”

If you are traveling to experience the vibrant queer life in New York you will have plenty of choices to choose where to stay, as the city has the highest number of LGBTQ+ hotels (478) and plenty of LGBTQ+ bars to try (46 – the 8th highest in the study).

Additionally, in light of turning political tides, New Yorkers enshrined a bill permanently insulating the rights of its LGBTQ+ community – alongside abortion rights and rights for pregnant people.

2. Los Angeles, United States

The entertainment industry owes much of its success to the vision and talent of LGBTQ+ stars both on camera, like heartthrobs Rock Hudson or Greta Garbo, and behind the scenes. Outside of showbiz Los Angeles is also the birthplace of The Advocate – America’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ magazine.

LGBTQ+ visitors to Tinseltown can choose between 50 gay bars (the 5th most) and have 356 queer-friendly hotels (the 4th largest choice).

3. London, United Kingdom

London has a long history of LGBTQ+ tourism. In fact, one historian claims there were more gay pubs and clubs in 1720s London than there were in the 1950s. Today, you can find many of these establishments centered around the Soho district. In total, London has the 10th most gay bars (41) joint with Miami, United States, and Pattaya, in Thailand.

Not only does London host one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ film festivals, but the city also celebrates Black Pride and Trans+ Pride and is home to the Museum of Transology, which has the UK’s largest archive on the transgender, nonbinary, and intersex community. Visitors wanting to explore all London has to offer can choose between 401 lGBTQ+ friendly hotels, the 2nd best selection in the study.

4. Bangkok, Thailand

Like most countries, Thailand itself has a complicated history with LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. The Kathoey (commonly translated as ladyboy in English) and transgender population are a visible and vibrant part of Thai culture and thanks to successful activism their rights are constitutionally protected by the state. However, there is still some way to go for gay rights in the country (such as allowing queer citizens to adopt or donate blood) scoring 57 out of 100 overall for this factor.

But despite the limited legal protection, public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people in Thailand ranked second highest in the study with a score of 62 out of 100 (after Norway with 68) so visitors can expect to receive a warm welcome.

During Pride Month in June, the LGBTQ+ community hosts a variety of events ranging from film festivals, and pride parades to river cruises. But even if you miss the June festivities, tourists here can choose between 87 LGBTQ+ bars, the greatest number in the study (joint with Orlando).

5. Miami, United States

LGBTQ+ tourism brings in billions of dollars to Florida every year. As early as the turn of the 20th century Florida – and specifically Miami – was marketed as a “fairyland”, a place which to some was interpreted as a free space to play with gender and sexuality. By the 1930s, Miami was already a queer culture capital of the U.S.

Today, Miami boasts the 5th greatest number of LGBTQ+ hotels (356) in the study and year-round events such as queer art showcases, pride movie nights, and pageant competitions for drag queens.

However, a cloud is cast over the Sunshine State. What the future holds for LGBTQ+ travel in Miami – and other popular destinations in Florida like Orlando – is uncertain. Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed six bills restricting LGBTQ+ rights and Florida’s travel site has removed their “LGBTQ Travel” page. Time will tell if this will push cities in Florida down the list for LGBTQ+ travel.

The popular holiday destinations to avoid

The study considered both cities already recognized as LGBTQ+ tourist destinations but also the world’s top most attractive city destinations according to the most recent data from Euromonitor. These cities might be attractive to some travelers, but out of the 106 cities considered in this study eleven popular tourist destinations rule that homosexuality is illegal – punishable by imprisonment or in five cases, the death penalty.

Three of these cities are in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah). In 2024 the U.A.E. was the 6th top earner from international tourism – making $51.9 billion in 2023. This is despite the fact that the U.A.E. routinely ranks at the bottom of human rights lists and that there are uncertain penalties for homosexuality meaning the death penalty is still a possible punishment.

Methodology

A list of cities was compiled from two sources:

This gave us a total list of 106 cities.

The sources for the number and rating of LGBTQ+ bars was taken from Google maps. The number and rating of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels was taken from expedia.com. The LGBTQ+ legal index and public opinion scores were taken from equaldex.com.

To create a weighted ranking system, we then surveyed adults, including 140 members of the LGBTQ+ community, to find out how important each metric is considered when choosing a travel destination. The weighting is as follows:

The number of listed LGBTQ+ bars: 5.39
The average rating of these listed LGBTQ+ bars: 5.42
The number of listed LGBTQ+-friendly hotels: 5.79
The average rating of these listed LGBTQ+-friendly hotels: 5.8
The legal index score: 6.72
The public opinion score: 6.62

Places with one or fewer LGBTQ+ bars or LGBTQ+ friendly hotels were discounted from the final rankings, leaving 88 cities in the index that rank for best LGBTQ+ destinations.

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