The majority of queer people in Germany hide their sexual orientation or gender identity while traveling. This is the finding of the current Travel Proud Report 2026, for which the Booking.com platform surveyed more than 13,300 queer individuals across 19 countries, including just over 1,000 people from Germany.
According to the survey, only 17 percent of German respondents said they are open about their queer identity on vacation — in daily life with close friends, that figure stands at 68 percent. To experience a destination from their wish list, many are willing to accept certain constraints: 46 percent of German respondents said they would be willing to hide their identity on-site if it meant they could experience a destination from their wish list.
According to the study, the need for safety precautions has risen compared with previous years. Forty-four percent of respondents from Germany now take more precautions than before. These include sharing a live location with contacts back home (22 percent), using VPN services to obscure online activity (22 percent), carrying a second phone (20 percent), or deleting dating apps before crossing borders (18 percent). Additionally, 47 percent of German participants said they constantly monitor their surroundings closely before expressing affection to their partners in public.
Special Burden for Trans People
The report highlights clear differences within the community. In particular, trans travelers report a heightened sense of insecurity. In Europe, 43 percent of trans respondents said they have become more anxious about traveling in recent years — among all queer people, this figure is 26 percent.
Whereas for the overall community, staying in public spaces after dark is the main source of fear, for trans people in Europe the use of gender-specific facilities such as restrooms or changing rooms represents the greatest safety risk (21 percent).
The study also shows that hiding can indeed be successful: the group of non-outed travelers reports globally the fewest experiences of discrimination (34 percent). Among openly living queer travelers this figure rises to 62 percent, and among trans people it climbs to 73 percent. Safety, in practice, is frequently purchased through invisibility.
Positive Developments and the Role of AI
Despite the obstacles, the survey also reveals positive trends. Fifty-three percent of German respondents see a general improvement in social acceptance in recent years. In addition, 90 percent reported at least one positive, identity-related experience in the past year, such as visible inclusion symbols in accommodations like rainbow flags or gender-neutral restrooms, or staff correctly using pronouns.
A newer trend is emerging in travel planning: 73 percent of German respondents use artificial intelligence (AI) for organizing their trips. About 39 percent said they feel safer asking an AI about the local queer scene rather than asking real people on the ground. And 38 percent specifically use AI to find queer-friendly places.
Booking.com launched Travel Proud in 2021. The program aims to make trained staff and safer, more welcoming accommodations for queer travelers visible, with the goal of reducing discrimination at check-in or during a stay (TheColu.mn reported).
