Some international LGBTQ+ travelers bring back US travel

Canadian citizen Robert Sharp was scheduled to visit Provincetown, Massachusetts, one of America’s most LGBTQ+ friendly places, for his Friend’s Milestone birthday in July.

But he said the plan has changed, in the backdrop of ongoing trade tensions caused by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies in the United States.

“Do you want to experience the stress before you go on vacation or do you want to support our country?” Sharp said.

The group he had planned to travel decided to cancel the trip and instead visits Montreal.

Sharp and his partners were also planning to visit Chicago, Florida or Fort Lauderdale this year for another trip, but they moved the plan on a road trip in Canada between Calgary and Vancouver.

“We were hit hard by tariffs in Canada, but there was real patriotism here. So we ultimately decided to explore our country and spend money on a road trip to the Rockies and help the economy in Canada,” Sharp said.

The changes in Sharp’s plans reflect a major trend in rethinking international travelers spending travel budgets and returning again on visits to the US

According to the International Trade Bureau, part of the Department of Commerce, the number of foreign visitors to the United States fell 10% in March from the previous year. Inbound visitors to the US, including land border intersections, fell 14% in March from the same period last year, according to industry groups.

Oxford Economics estimates international visitors spending to the US will fall by $8.5 billion this year.

Within the LGBTQ+ population, the LGBTQ+ travel platform, MisterB&B, a bizarre residential accommodation booking in the US, fell 66% among Canadian users, and 32% for European users from February to April compared to the same period last year.

The company said bookings for the blue state increased by 22%, while the red state fell by 9% during that period. It also saw decline in cities in the red state, including Salt Lake City in Phoenix and Austin, Texas.

Misterb&B CEO Matthieu Jost said overall bookings on the platform have not gone down globally, but are on the rise. Jost said that while it appears that LGBTQ+ individuals continue to spend their vacations, they are changing destinations.

The company says that the majority of MisterB&B users surveyed this year use travel budgets as a form of activism.

Sharp, who owns the LGBTQ-friendly travel agency Out Adventures, doesn’t just change his travel plans.

In February, LGBTQ+ advocacy group Egale Canada issued a statement saying that it would not be attended in person at conferences or events that took place this year, including WorldPride, held in Washington, DC in early June.

The decision was made primarily to protect personal safety, said Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada.

Trump signed several executive orders for transgender people in his second term. They are trying to prevent them from serving openly in the military and keep trans athletes away from the sports of girls and women.

Another executive order, which states that the federal government recognizes only two genders, male and female, has urged several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, to pay official attention to LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the United States, particularly trans travelers. Canada has also updated its travel guidance with specific recommendations for people with the “X” gender listed on their passports.

Kennedy said another reason for her decision not to travel to the US is to push back what she considers as an “economic warfare” from the US to Canada.

“People talk about Canada and the United States have a long history of being incredible neighbours, and yes, we do, but it’s often based on economic benefits,” Kennedy said. “When you put that human element in the economic element, you, well, I understand, why am I going there?”

Kennedy said Egale Canada members involved in non-governmental organizations typically spend between $3,000 and $5,000 per person on trips to attend meetings or events. She estimated that corporate travelers typically spend at least $5,000.

“We’re spending quite a bit of change in the hotel,” she said. “We’ll do field trips, rent bikes and do everything that everyone else does.”

The LGBTQ+ travel market is important. A 2022 survey by market research firm Pride Co-op estimates the purchasing power of all LGBTQ+ consumers at $1.4 trillion.

In 2023, the global LGBTQ+ tourism market was expected to be $296.8 billion, more than doubled in 10 years, reaching $634.9 billion in 2033.

Arival Travel research shows that LGBTQ+ travelers are more likely to earn more than $150,000 in household income compared to other travelers.

During travel, LGBTQ individuals spend more on these experiences, booking more activities and tours than other groups, Arival’s study found.

John Tanzera, CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he had already heard hesitant from international members about his organization’s global convention held in Palm Springs, California.

“They are not welcome here, so why come and spend their money here?” Tanzera said.

“On the surface, it affects airlines and hotels. But if you dig a little deeper, it affects other businesses, such as barber shops, restaurants, bars, spas, and many other communities rely on tourists to spend their money,” he added.

Despite concerns about the decline in visits from international LGBTQ+ travelers and some pullbacks of corporate sponsorships for pride celebrations, Pride organizations across the US have said attendance is strong at the Pride Month event, which takes place on the final weekend of June.

However, many organizations say it’s still too early or difficult to estimate, given that many pride celebrations are open to the public without tickets.

Matt Chenız-Cheng, Associate Director of NYC Pride Partnerships, said attendance at the Pride event last weekend is expected to be a total of 2.5 million people, in line with typical numbers.

He said NYC’s pride lost about 25% of corporate sponsorships the first of this year due to the economy, tariffs and pullback surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion. However, he estimated that the number of people and conditionals taking part in this year’s Pride March will be greater than the previous year.

Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, who ran WorldPride this year, said organizers were “pleasant and surprised” that people still appeared amid concerns over Trump administration policies.

The boss said he heard a call to cancel the event this year due to political tensions in Washington.

“If we were to retreat, what message would we have sent to all the other pride that are experiencing similar challenges?” Boss said.

WorldPride still doesn’t have an official attendance, but Bos said he thinks attendance is strong. However, Tanzella, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said she’s heard that WorldPride numbers have declined this year.

The Red State cities continue to celebrate their pride.

Attendees increased from around 28,000 last year to 33,000 this year at Phoenix Pride’s annual Rainbows Festival in April, Michael Forneli executive director told CNBC in a statement. That Pride Parade is celebrated in October due to the summer heat.

In Salt Lake City, it estimated that SLC Pride brought 17,000 attendees at the celebration last weekend, bringing the more than 10,000 attendees we saw last year.

“We’re a bit of a blue bubble here in Salt Lake,” O’Brien said. “We don’t expect people to come from big cities or foreign countries. But do you get people from Wyoming? Yes.

“It’s not about travel, it’s not red or blue,” she said. “It’s about the closest places they can find a community, and they know that they’re safe if it’s only on weekends.”