IGLTA Foundation Introduces Transgender Advisory Group to Improve Resources for Gender-Diverse Travelers

Media Contact: LoAnn Halden

LoAnn.Halden@iglta.org

+1.954.253.4095

FORT LAUDERDALE (31 March 2022, Transgender Day of Visibility)—The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association and the IGLTA Foundation celebrate transgender and gender-expansive people, in all their diversity, for their empowering contributions to societies across the planet. We strive to eradicate the discrimination that still prevents many gender-diverse individuals from living openly and fully as their authentic selves.

As part of this commitment, the IGLTA Foundation has formed a global advisory group to help the association create better resources to support gender-diverse travelers. The dynamic group includes Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Editor-in-Chief, Out Traveler; Renato Braga, Account Manager, Amadeus Brasil; Gabrielle Claiborne, CEO, Transformation Journeys Worldwide; author/advocate Dr. Elijah Nicholas; Alejandra Palma, Commercial Manager, Chile, Condor Travel; Rachel Reese, CEO, Global Butterflies; Diane Rodriguez, Founder, LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Ecuador; Stevie Tran, Founding Partner, Tran Arrowsmith; and Bella Thanakarn Vongvisitsin, Founder, LGBTIQ+ Tourism Asia.

“We are very aware of underrepresentation in travel, whether it’s overall marketing that fails to include transgender and gender-diverse travelers or lack of visibility in our business network,” said IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella. “We need to develop more inclusive resources to help tourism professionals better understand the needs of transgender and gender-expansive clients.”

“There are so many safety issues and concerns specific to transgender and gender-diverse travelers that need to receive more attention globally, and we want to ensure that the tool kit we develop is informed by those we wish to serve,” said IGLTA Foundation Board Chair Theresa Belpulsi.

Please join us in elevating trans and gender-expansive people today, Transgender Day of Visibility, and every day. If you're interested in joining this group or would like to refer a new member, please email info@igltafoundation.org.

For more information on the group, please visit igltafoundation.org (“What We Do”) or click here.

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About IGLTA and the IGLTA Foundation

The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association is the global leader in advancing LGBTQ+ travel and a proud Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. IGLTA’s mission is to provide information and resources for LGBTQ+ travelers and expand LGBTQ+ tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact. The association’s professional network includes 10,000+ LGBTQ+ welcoming accommodations, destinations, service providers, travel agents, tour operators, events and travel media, and its members can be found in nearly 80 countries. The philanthropic IGLTA Foundation empowers LGBTQ+ welcoming travel businesses globally through leadership, research, and education. For more information: iglta.org, igltaconvention.org or iglta.org/foundation and follow us on Facebook @IGLTA, @IGLTABusiness or @IGLTAFoundation, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram @iglta.