A new study names Portugal as one of the mostLGBTQ+ friendly countries, with Lisbon and Porto ranking first and second place respectively in the top 10 most LGBTQ+ friendly vacation destinations in the world.
After a bleak 18 months or so, travel is finally starting to open back up again as restrictions lift, meaning we can all fulfil that pent-up wanderlust at last.
The options for LGBTQ+ travel are also expanding. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ travellers still have to be mindful of safety and legislation concerns in some destinations around the world, with homosexuality still illegal in 69 countries. However, an increasing number of destinations are far more accepting, with established queer communities and local events such as Pride.
Across all of the factors, it was Lisbon that came out as the best destination for LGBTQ+ travellers. Lisbon is a beautiful Mediterranean city with lots of gay bars and clubs dotted through its hilly streets, specifically in the Bairro Alto and Principe Real areas. In fact, Lisbon was also the city with the highest concentration of bars and clubs. The city scored so highly due to Portugal’s perfect 100 out of 100 rating when it comes to anti-discrimination laws.
Porto followed in second place, also benefiting from Portugal’s LGBTQ-friendly legislation, with a ban on discrimination against sexual orientation. Porto also had the highest concentration of accommodation options of the cities that we looked at, with 2,503 per 100,000 people.
We’ve ranked some of these destinations both here in the US and around the world based on factors covering their LGBTQ+ friendliness, as well as things like accommodation options and affordability.
Check out the LGBTQ+ Travel Index 2021 HERE.
