The LGBT Travel and Tourism community is doing big business. John Tanzella, president, and CEO of IGLTA knows this and speaks out on the upcoming election for the new Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. IGLTA stands for International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. IGLTA is an international organization and a leading global travel network dedicated to connecting and educating LGBT travelers and the businesses that welcome and support.
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association has been a proud Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization since 2010, the first, and to date, only LGBTQ organization included in this program. We collaborated with UNWTO on the 1st Global Report on LGBT Tourism in 2012 and are pleased to continue that partnership on the second edition of the report this year.
Given the support and respect afforded IGLTA and the LGBTQ tourism community through this relationship, the upcoming election for the next UNWTO Secretary General is particularly important. We want to see our industry keep moving forward in the march toward equality. We need to see a leader elected who will stand up for all members of our global community, regardless of race, gender identity, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
As a member-based association, with business members in approximately 70 countries, we cannot make an endorsement; however, we do call for all of the candidates to take a stand in support of the LGBTQ communities in their home countries and around the world. There is no room for discrimination in the tourism industry.
