Orbitz Is Creating Tools to Help LGBTQIA+ Travelers See the World
Orbitz wants to ensure everyone feels safe, secure, and satisfied on their travels around the globe. And that begins by helping people identify the spaces that are right for them.
In honor of Pride Month, Orbitz unveiled a new LGBTQIA+-welcoming hotel search that highlights the more than 35,000 hotels that signed the company's Inclusivity Pledge against discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual identity.
"We want travelers to start their trip search feeling welcome wherever they're headed. It was important for us to spend time recruiting partners to sign on to this project to really signal that they are committed to these same values," Carey Malloy, brand director at Orbitz, shared in a statement. "Especially because we know that LGBTQIA+ travelers often do this research on their own. We're hopefully giving all our customers a new starting point and opportunity to support and stay at places that are inclusive."
According to Orbitz, hotels that sign on to the pledge vow to, at minimum, "enforce a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory behavior." Of course, some have gone even further to add on training programs for staff on gender identities, and more.
"Most of us plan a trip with the fundamental expectation that we'll find a place to stay where we can be ourselves, but that's not a reality for all travelers today," Malloy adds.
The company even conducted a survey to find out what its LGBTQIA+ customers want and, according to Malloy, found "more than a quarter of respondents said that they feel the need to downplay their LGBTQIA+ identity while traveling. Today, we're helping them start their trip search with a place where they'll feel welcomed."
To help people get out and explore more, the company teamed up with "Mean Girls" star Jonathan Bennett to get the community excited about LGBTQIA+-inclusive travel.
"Being the owner of an LGBTQIA+ travel business myself, (OUTbound Travel) I know how important it is for our community to not simply feel supported but celebrated when it comes to travel. It's time to make inclusion the norm. Let's keep shining the spotlight on those who are doing good and resources like Orbitz's new LGBTQIA+-welcoming hotel search that put safety and acceptance for all travelers at the forefront."
And with Pride events taking place around the world, there's never been a better time to start planning a trip.
"Coming out of the pandemic and I think we're all looking for ways to invest in the communities and people and places we care about more than ever. Whether it's staying a property that shares your values or lifting up LGBTQIA+-owned businesses, that's what's important right now," Malloy says. "If we can give you an extra incentive to support what you already care about, that's money well spent. And that's how we want to reward travelers."
Ready to book? Check out all the hotels celebrating diversity and inclusion here.
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