Booking.com has found that more than half of Thai LGBTI tourists do not "come out" on holiday to avoid negative experiences.Released last week, its latest Travel Proud Research Report draws upon insights from around 13,300 LGBTI travellers across 19 countries. The survey was carried out between February and March. Participating respondents must be at least 18 years old, identify as LGBTI, and have travelled in the last 12 months.
Only 45% of Thai LGBTI tourists are out when travelling, compared to 83% who are out to close friends. While over half of them conceal identity, the number increases when asked about where they want to go. Some 60% are willing to hide identity in an exchange for experiencing bucket-list destinations.
Meanwhile, 65% of Thai LGBTI tourists report being more cautious than they were a few years ago, from sharing their live locations with trusted contacts (28%) to deleting dating apps before border crossing (23%) and using VPNs to disguise activity or access blocked sites (25%). Some 61% constantly scan their surroundings before showing affection to partners in public.
However, transgenders report confronting particular challenges. Thirty-six percent of Thai trans tourists feel more anxious, compared to 43% across Asia and 27% globally. Using gendered facilities, such as bathrooms and changing rooms, triggers the highest level of anxiety (24%), highlighting the reality of travel experience which other groups do not face with the same degree of intensity.
