LGBTI tourism continues to grow at a faster pace than the regular market reaching 10.7% in 2016.

According to information released at the London World Travel Market in November of 2016 the global value of the LGBT travel market is worth over USD$211 billion in consumer spending; this is the market that many Costa Rican companies are now targeting.

Targeting the LGBTI market has proven to be a smart business move especially considering that the spending power of members of the LGBTI community is usually high.

Ian Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Out Now, presented the findings at the LGBT Masterclass education workshop at World Travel Market, London, and stated “The global LGBT market continues to be one of healthy growth and opportunities for a growing number of travel industry participants However the LGBT consumer market continues to raise its expectations and there is much work to be done by the industry in the areas of communications improvements, strategy development, training and quality assurance for LGBT travelers”.

Just this past September 4th and 5th the Trade Mission Costa Rica LGBTI event was hosted at the Radisson Hotel; this event gathered companies in the tourism sector and other multinational companies that are hoping to learn more about this market and understand the demands and interests of the same; the event was organized by the Costa Rica Diverse Chamber of Commerce with the purpose of educating the different sectors in the new market trends and to promote diversity in the different businesses and workspaces.

The LGBTI population is interested in visiting countries where they are respected and can feel comfortable and free to be themselves; just this past April two hotels in Costa Rica were recognized by Hotels.com with their Loved by Guests Awards as friendly hotels for the LGBTI community, however, there are many hotels and other businesses in the country that either focus on servicing the LGBTI community exclusively or that promote their business as LGBTI friendly.

Although there is still a long way to go, Costa Rica continues with their efforts to promote a tolerant, respectful and inclusive society that sees diversity in its many different manifestations as an opportunity to grow as human beings and even as a business opportunity by creating business models that fit a specific market’s needs and preferences.