TRAVELLING WITH PRIDE
It’s well after midnight, and Madrid’s Plaza de Chueca has never been busier. Good-timers swirl around the busy, lamplit square: young, old, high heels, sandals, freshly pressed shirts and plenty of bare flesh. This is the fizzing, thumping heart of the Spanish capital’s gay district — a playground, a living room, whatever you want it to be — and the warm air quivers with the sound of voices. But it’s not just Spanish you can hear — there’s English, Irish, German, Italian and a smattering of Brazilian, too.
“I think travel is in our DNA,” says John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA). “The very nature of being LGBTQ+ means there’s an open-mindedness and desire to see the world.”
There are few better places to see that open-mindedness in action than Madrid. Progressive laws and largely liberal attitudes within Spain have made it a safe haven for LGBTQ+ travellers, who have long flocked to the country’s cities, coasts and islands. “This is a loyal community that loves to travel multiple times a year and spends a lot every time. Suddenly it’s clear why companies want to reach us,” says Tanzella.
The rewards can be lucrative: research by corporate advisory and asset management company LGBT Capital estimates that the sector has a global spending power of $3.9 trillion (£2.9
