The perceived safety of queer travelers has shifted noticeably worldwide over the past year. This stems from the second joint study “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety 2026” by ITB Berlin, A3M Global Monitoring, and Diversity Tourism, released on Thursday. According to ITB, 69 travel experts and travelers took part in the survey, offering their assessments for 28 countries. In total, ratings are now available for 46 countries and territories.
The United States shows the most pronounced change. The share of respondents who agree that LGBTQ+ people are treated with respect in society fell from 35 percent in 2025 to 17 percent in 2026. The respectful treatment by the police also declined significantly, dropping from 39 percent to 17 percent. At the same time, views on LGBTQ+ safe spaces improved: the agreement that there exists an LGBTQ+-friendly scene accessible to tourists rose from 61 percent in 2025 to 83 percent in 2026.
Praise for Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and Austria
Among destinations rated most positively by the study are Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and Austria. Canada and the Netherlands performed best overall, particularly regarding the respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals and couples as well as how police and authorities handle these communities.
Germany was also included in the study: despite broad legal protections, regional differences between urban centers and rural areas became apparent. The share of respondents who view regions in Germany as having elevated risk for LGBTQ+ travelers rose from 65 percent in 2025 to 71 percent in 2026.
Rising digital risks
The study also highlights growing digital risks: experts reported cases in which dating apps or social networks were used to deliberately deceive, rob, or assault LGBTQ+ individuals — including in European countries.
In parallel, A3M Global Monitoring published the updated “LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2026.” Advances in protections for queer people are noted in Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, China, and Colombia. By contrast, tightening occurred in Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
