Sojern, Sonders and ELTA find 2025 Global Pride Travel Trends
As Pride Month kicks off, new global flight data from the leading digital marketing platform built for hospitality, Sojern, in collaboration with partners Sonders & Beach and the European LGBTQ+ Travel Alliance (ELTA), reveals how – and where – the world is travelling for Pride in 2025.
Sonders & Beach is bringing these insights to life by certifying destinations, hotels, and events – ensuring Pride travellers can enjoy verified inclusive and sustainable travel experiences across Europe and beyond.
Key findings include:
Pride Planning Starts Early: Searches for Athens, Brussels, and Rome spiked around Valentine's Day, suggesting it may act as a key emotional trigger. Brussels, in particular, showed early planning behaviour – valuable insight for marketers looking to capture interest from this audience in advance.
Long-Haul, Solo & Leisure-Led: Over 45% of Pride travel involved long-haul trips (4,800+ km), with 58% of travellers booking solo and primarily for leisure—though 'bleisure' travel sees a noticeable rise ahead of parade weekends.
Where They're Coming From: Western Europe (35%) just edges out North America (33%) in total volume, but the USA (28%) remains the single largest feeder country, followed by Brazil (7%) and Spain (5%). New York, London, and Los Angeles lead by metro.
World Pride Watch: While Copenhagen (2021) and Sydney (2023) triggered clear travel surges, Washington D.C.'s 2025 edition has shown more modest momentum—potentially reflecting broader geopolitical concerns or a shift in traveller priorities toward cost, proximity, or local programming over attending the 'biggest' global Pride.
As Pride travellers seek not just celebration but meaningful, inclusive experiences, brands that proactively invest in authentic engagement stand to gain. With new EU regulations emphasising social sustainability – and LGBTQ+ rights globally under scrutinity – ELTA is working with partners to not only harness these trends for Pride Month, but to shape the future of inclusive tourism.
With the LGBTQ+ tourism market valued at $357b. in 2025, these insights offer critical guidance for destinations, travel brands, and marketers looking to connect authentically with Pride travellers.
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