Booking.com Travel Proud Reaches 150,000 Inclusive Hotels

When LGBTQ+ travelers book hotel rooms, their decision-making process extends far beyond the standard metrics that guide most guests. Price, location, and amenities matter, certainly, but for many in this community, the overriding question becomes: will I feel safe and accepted during check-in? Will the staff treat my partner with respect? Will I need to hide who I am?

These concerns reflect a real disparity in the travel experience. Research conducted by Booking.com found that only 31 percent of LGBTQ+ travelers globally report feeling “out” when they travel. Even more concerning, 44 percent of LGBTQ+ travelers say they are taking more precautions than they did just a few years ago. For a community that should be able to travel freely and authentically, these numbers reveal significant friction points in the hotel booking and check-in process.

Understanding the Problem

The anxiety surrounding hotel stays for LGBTQ+ travelers stems from multiple sources. Travelers worry about judgment from hotel staff. They experience uncertainty about how to request rooms that match their needs without feeling judged. They navigate assumptions about their relationships, their gender identity, and their travel companions. Even routine moments—like confirming bed preferences when traveling with a same-sex partner—become sources of stress.

Kristofer Barber, director of global communications at Booking.com, described how the company initially approached this challenge during a conversation at the company’s Amsterdam headquarters. “At a certain point,” Barber recalled, “we were like, ‘Is there a friction point here?’” The company dug deeper into what those moments of friction actually looked like, examining everything from anxiety around the check-in process to how staff could avoid making assumptions about guests.

The research revealed that travelers’ anxiety varies based on gender identity, gender expression, and who they’re traveling with. Each of these factors creates a distinct friction point that compounds the travel experience. The findings made clear that the problem wasn’t unsolvable—it required education and practical tools for hotel staff to create more inclusive environments.

Introducing Travel Proud

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Booking.com’s response came in the form of Travel Proud, a free training program designed to equip hotels with the knowledge and practical skills needed to welcome LGBTQ+ guests more effectively. The program emerged from Booking.com’s partnership with HospitableMe, a global leader in inclusive hospitality education, ensuring that the training reflected industry best practices and real-world application.

Program Structure and Access

Travel Proud operates as a free online training module that takes 90 minutes to complete. The company made the program globally accessible by offering it in 11 languages, acknowledging that inclusive hospitality is a worldwide concern that transcends English-speaking markets. Once a hotel completes the training, staff gain access to a Travel Proud Customer Toolkit that translates the learning into practical, guest-facing strategies they can implement immediately.

The Hotel Badge and Search Filter

Completion of Travel Proud training earns hotels a dedicated badge displayed on Booking.com, signaling to potential guests that the property has undertaken formal inclusion training. For LGBTQ+ travelers searching on Booking.com, the platform now includes a “Travel Proud (LGBTQ+ friendly)” filter, allowing them to identify and book accommodations that have committed to inclusive practices. This feature directly addresses the confidence gap that prevents many LGBTQ+ travelers from fully enjoying their trips.

Three Pillars of Change

The Travel Proud framework rests on three distinct but interconnected areas of improvement. The first pillar focuses on helping LGBTQ+ people choose accommodations with confidence. By filtering for Travel Proud-certified properties, travelers reduce the uncertainty that has historically defined the booking process for this community. They know they’re selecting a hotel that has explicitly committed to training staff and creating an inclusive environment.

The second pillar targets accommodation partners directly, equipping them with the skills to be extra welcoming. The training goes beyond surface-level politeness to address the specific moments where misunderstandings occur and assumptions get made. Staff learn how to confirm guest preferences—from bed configurations to room locations—without making guests feel judged or that they’re doing something wrong. These small changes in communication style and approach have outsized impacts on the guest experience.

The third pillar leverages Booking.com’s platform itself through the use of more inclusive language throughout the website. This foundational change removes subtle barriers that LGBTQ+ travelers encounter even before they arrive at a hotel. Language shapes perception, and more inclusive wording signals that both the platform and the accommodations listed on it recognize and respect the full diversity of travelers.

Rapid Global Adoption

The scale of Travel Proud’s adoption underscores the demand for more inclusive hospitality practices. Since launching, more than 150,000 properties across 163 countries and 20,000 cities have enrolled in the training program. This reach represents a significant portion of Booking.com’s global property network, suggesting that hoteliers recognize both the ethical importance and the commercial value of creating welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ guests.

The numbers speak to a broader shift in the hospitality industry. Hotels understand that travelers increasingly value properties that align with their values, and inclusive practices have become a competitive advantage. For LGBTQ+ travelers, the expansion of Travel Proud-certified properties worldwide means more places where they can book with confidence rather than anxiety.

What This Means for LGBTQ+ Travelers

Expanding Choices Worldwide

The practical impact of Travel Proud extends far beyond the training itself. With 150,000 properties now trained, LGBTQ+ travelers have substantially more options for accommodations where they’re likely to encounter staff who have received formal education on creating inclusive experiences. This matters when traveling domestically and internationally, in conservative regions and progressive cities alike.

The program also validates a simple truth: friction points in the travel experience aren’t inevitable. They exist because systems and processes were designed without certain travelers in mind. By identifying and addressing these friction points—through training, language changes, and visible signaling via badges and filters—Booking.com has shown that inclusion is actionable, scalable, and achievable at a global level.

The Value of Authenticity

For travelers who have learned to downplay or hide their identity while traveling, the existence of Travel Proud-certified properties offers something more valuable than discount codes or loyalty points. It offers the possibility of traveling authentically, without the mental burden of managing how others perceive their relationships or identity. It offers the chance to focus on why they traveled in the first place, rather than worrying about how they’ll be received.

The Road Ahead

Travel Proud represents one of the most comprehensive efforts by a major booking platform to systematically address inclusion in hospitality. The success of the program—measured in both adoption rates and the positive feedback from participating properties—suggests that this model could influence how other platforms approach the same challenges. As travel platforms continue to compete for loyalty and market share, inclusive practices are increasingly becoming a differentiator rather than a nice-to-have feature.

For LGBTQ+ travelers planning their next trip, Travel Proud-certified hotels are now an option worth prioritizing. For the wider hospitality industry, the program demonstrates that creating welcoming spaces for all travelers isn’t complex or expensive—it requires education, awareness, and a commitment to removing the subtle barriers that make some guests feel like they don’t fully belong.