LGBTQ+ Archives – Queer Destinations

Recibe la CDMX distintivo otorgado por Queer Destinations

Alejandro Villalobos — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:47:46 +0000

La capital se fortalece como destino turístico con oferta especializada para visitantes LGBTQ+
Se trabaja en el diseño de una Estrategia Nacional de Turismo para este segmento

La capital mexicana se convirtió en la primera ciudad de América Latina en ser reconocida por su compromiso a favor del sector LGBTQ+, cuando este martes la Secretaria de Turismo de la CDMX, Nathalie Desplas Puel, recibió el distintivo Queer Destinations por el diseño y aplicación de políticas públicas, a favor de este segmento turístico.

Durante la ceremonia celebrada en el hotel JW Marriott Mexico City, la Secretaria de Turismo del gobierno capitalino anunció que la empresa Turibus, la Asociación Mexicana de Viajes CDMX y la Asociación de Hoteles de la Ciudad de México han sido convocadas para invitar a sus agremiados a contar con este distintivo.

Al recibir la distinción de la mano de Edgar Weggelaar, CEO de la empresa Queer Destinations, la funcionaria del gobierno capitalino remarcó que la Ciudad de México, es la única ciudad latinoamericana en contar con este distintivo. Al respecto hizo notar la capacitación que están recibiendo todos los prestadores de servicios turísticos, del sector público y del privado para atender a este sector turístico. “La están cursando las alcaldías, los trabajadores de las agencias de viajes, de los hoteles. Y queremos que todos se certifiquen en lo mismo porque queremos seguir siendo una ciudad punta de lanza en todo lo que es derechos, seguridad y no solamente entendimiento: que se sienta que la Ciudad de México es una ciudad segura y que corresponde a muchos segmentos de turismo”, expresó. En ese sentido, dijo que es muy importante que el sector LGBTQ+ sea uno de los más cuidados justamente porque ha sido históricamente uno de los más vulnerables. “Aquí estamos en Ciudad de México siempre con los brazos abiertos porque somos la Ciudad que lo tiene todo para todos, todas y todes”, subrayó.

Todo ello, dijo, en el marco de la esfera de derechos a favor de la igualdad, respeto y dignidad de las personas de la diversidad sexual y de género así como por su trabajo para el posicionamiento de la ciudad como destino turístico para el viajero LGBTQ+. Hizo notar que en enero de este año, durante la Feria Internacional de Turismo (FITUR), que cada año se celebra en Madrid, España, la Secretaría de Turismo de la Ciudad de México y Queer Destinations firmaron una carta de colaboración para refrendar el compromiso de la capital a favor de la diversidad y la inclusión, y garantizar servicios turísticos incluyentes y libres de discriminación.

En ese mismo mes, en seguimiento de dicho compromiso, se realizó el Seminario “Hospitality Meets Diversity”, plática de concientización y capacitación con temas LGBTQ+ en el que participaron actores estratégicos del sector, áreas de turismo de las alcaldías y servidores públicos de la Secretaría de Turismo de la Ciudad de México. Dentro de los logros y reconocimientos con los que se cuenta la Ciudad de México en materia de Turismo LGBTQ+, destaca ser el “Mejor Destino Urbano 2022 y 2023”, para el turismo LGBTQ+ otorgado por la Unión Nacional de Empresarios Turísticos LGBTQ+, A.C, que recaudó más de 350 mil votos de viajeros y expertos LGBTQ+ a través de sus redes sociales.

Por su parte, Queer Destinations es la empresa internacional especializada en la promoción del turismo LGBTQ+, y ha impartido programas de concientización a más de 15 mil empleados. También proporciona consultorías y estrategias de marketing, que funcionan como el puente que conecta a Gobiernos, destinos y empresas con viajeros Queer de todo el mundo y que trabajan en promover políticas responsables hacia las personas LGBTQ+.

Todo ello, agregó, en línea con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible marcados por Naciones Unidas en su agenda 2030 para reducir desigualdades. Y todas estas acciones se han realizado en ocho países del mundo y en los idiomas inglés, español, francés y portugués. El objetivo, finalizó, es impulsar la competitividad de las empresas turísticas y promover cambios en la sociedad orientados a garantizar el respeto a los derechos de las personas en términos de accesibilidad, equidad, inclusión y diversidad.

En su turno, Julián Arroyo Corvera, presidente de la Asociación Mexicana de Agencias de Viajes (AMAV) Ciudad de México, precisó que muchos de sus representados ya trabajan con el segmento LGBTQ+ y que hacen viajes por todo el mundo. “Hay cruceros y hoteles especializados, hay agencias especializadas. Así que desde nuestro nicho siempre contarán con este gran apoyo”. Además de los mencionados, en el acto estuvieron también Jaime Rubén Morales Beltrán, Director General de Diversidad Sexual y Derechos Humanos; Rainer Weinberg, Gerente General del Hotel W Mexico City y Ramón Diago, Gerente General del Hotel JW Marriott Mexico City.

The post Recibe la CDMX distintivo otorgado por Queer Destinations appeared first on Queer Destinations.

Primavera Sound will be the first festival to be awarded the Queer Destinations Committed distinction

Alejandro Villalobos — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:48:11 +0000

Primavera Sound will become the first festival organiser globally to work towards this quality label for the LGBTQ+ segment.
The collaboration comes a week after the festival participated in Think Plus, the Think Tank of the LGTBIQ+ Chamber of Commerce of Catalonia, on new models of diverse tourism.

Primavera Sound and Queer Destinations have signed a collaboration agreement, within the framework of the celebration of LGBTI Pride in Barcelona, with the aim of becoming the first festival at a global level to obtain the Queer Destinations Committed distinction.

The ‘Queer Destinations Committed’ label is the internationally recognised standard that allows companies to show their commitment and welcome the LGBTQ+ segment in an optimal way. The seal has a presence in over 12 countries around the world and has as its main requirement a process of awareness and training for 100% of employees and collaborators using a digital educational programme called “Hospitality meets diversity”.

In the words of Queer Destinations, “Primavera Sound has been a pioneer in the defence of its values such as sustainability, gender parity and diversity with programmes such as Nobody is Normal,” which is why they wanted to recognise the work of the festival. With this alliance, they seek to go a step further by becoming an international standard for welcoming anyone. In Spain, an international agreement has been signed with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, to promote this segment at a national and international level, a plan that will allow Primavera Sound to promote the essence of Barcelona around the world.

Alfonso Lanza, director of Primavera Sound, expressed his gratitude for this recognition that “highlights the commitment that the festival has had for years with its audience, in this case and especially with the LGTBI community”. The fact that labels such as Queer Destinations value Primavera Sound as an inclusive and diverse space is “an honour, as the festival is not in itself an event aimed exclusively at the community and therefore, we consider that the fact that companies and associations in the sector value us so positively has an added merit”.

Oriol Pàmies, founder of Queer Destinations, commented that “We celebrate the commitment to safety and excellence in the treatment of the LGBTI segment in the world of leisure, especially doing it hand in hand with a company that always defends its values”. At the recent editions of Primavera Sound Barcelona and Madrid, Queer Destinations carried out the first audit that will serves as a foundation for the development of the educational programme that will include all possible interactions of the festivalgoers with any staff of the festival’s organisation. The implementation of the programme will be carried out globally starting with the editions Porto, São Paulo, Bogotá and Asunción at the end of 2023.

This recognition comes a week after Primavera Sound participated in aother edition of Think Plus, the think tank of the Chamber of Commerce LGTBIQ+ of Catalonia. This was a special meeting in the calendar of the Chamber, as it took place within the framework of the celebration of Pride in Barcelona, and its central theme was the discussion on “New models of LGTBIQ+ tourism”.

In an increasingly diverse society, the collective finds new reasons to travel to other destinations such as music festivals, cultural or sporting events. The Chamber wanted to draw on the experience of Primavera Sound to answer questions about what kind of attractions a destination needs to have to attract the LGTBI community, highlighting once again the festival’s commitment to celebrating music, but also diversity and inclusion.

The post Primavera Sound will be the first festival to be awarded the Queer Destinations Committed distinction appeared first on Queer Destinations.

Primavera Sound será el primer festival en obtener la distinción Queer Destinations Committed

Alejandro Villalobos — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:45:18 +0000

Primavera Sound se convertirá en la primera organizadora de festivales a nivel global en trabajar para obtener este distintivo de calidad para el segmento LGBTQ+
El acuerdo llega una semana después que el festival participara en Think Plus, el Think Tank de la Cambra LGTBIQ+ de Catalunya, sobre nuevos modelos de turismo diverso

Primavera Sound y Queer Destinations han firmado un acuerdo de colaboración, en el marco de la celebración del Orgullo LGBTI en Barcelona, con el fin de convertirse en el primer festival a nivel global en obtener la distinción Queer Destinations Committed.

El distintivo ‘Queer Destinations Committed’ es la norma reconocida internacionalmente que permite a las empresas demostrar su compromiso y recibir al segmento LGBTQ+ de manera óptima. El sello tiene presencia en más de 12 países alrededor del mundo y cuenta como principal requisito un proceso de sensibilización y formación al 100% de trabajadores y colaboradores utilizando una programa educacional digital llamado “Hospitality meets diversity”.

En palabras de Queer Destinations, “Primavera Sound ha sido pionero en la defensa de sus valores como la sostenibilidad, la paridad de género o la diversidad con programas como Nobody is Normal,” motivo por el cual han querido reconocer el trabajo del festival. Con esta alianza, buscan dar un paso más allá convirtiéndose en un estándar internacional para poder dar la bienvenida a cualquier persona. En España se ha firmado se un convenio internacional con la ministra de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, Reyes Maroto, para promover este segmento a nivel nacional e internacional, plan que con esta firma permitirá a Primavera Sound promover la esencia de Barcelona alrededor del mundo.

Alfonso Lanza, director de Primavera Sound, agradeció este reconocimiento que “pone en valor el compromiso que el festival tiene desde hace años con su público, en este caso y especialmente con el de la comunidad LGTBI”. El hecho de que distintivos como Queer Destinations valoren Primavera Sound como un espacio inclusivo y de diversidad supone “un honor, en tanto que el festival no es en sí un evento dirigido exclusivamente a la comunidad y por tanto, consideramos que empresas y asociaciones del sector nos valoren así de positivamente tiene un mérito añadido”.

Oriol Pàmies, fundador de Queer Destinations, comentó que “Celebramos el compromiso con la seguridad y la excelencia en el trato del segmento LGBTI en el mundo del ocio, especialmente haciéndolo de la mano de una empresa que siempre defiende sus valores ”. Queer Destinations ejecutó en las recientes ediciones de Primavera Sound Barcelona y Madrid la primera auditoría que sirve de base para el desarrollo del programa educacional que incluirá todas las posibles interacciones de los asistentes con cualquier personal de la organización del festival. La implementación del programa se realizará a nivel global iniciando con las ediciones Porto, São Paulo, Bogotá y Asunción a finales de 2023.

Este reconocimiento llega una semana después que Primavera Sound participara en una nueva edición de Think Plus, el think tank de la Cambra de Comerç LGTBIQ+ de Catalunya. Este fue un encuentro especial en el calendario de la Cambra, en tanto que se dio a cabo en el marco de la celebración del Pride en Barcelona, y tuvo como eje central la discusión sobre “Nuevos modelos de turismo LGTBIQ+”.

En una sociedad cada vez más diversa, el colectivo encuentra nuevos motivos para viajar a otras destinaciones como pueden serlo festivales de música, eventos culturales o deportivos. La Cambra quiso contar con la experiencia de Primavera Sound para responder a preguntas sobre qué tipo de atractivos tiene que tener una destinación para atraer a la comunidad LGTBI, destacando de nuevo el compromiso del festival con la celebración de la música, pero también de la diversidad y de la inclusión.

The post Primavera Sound será el primer festival en obtener la distinción Queer Destinations Committed appeared first on Queer Destinations.

Queer Destinations Announces Edgar Weggelaar as New CEO

Alejandro Villalobos — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 09:35:59 +0000

Madrid, Monday, March 6, 2023

Queer Destinations, a global leader in LGBTQ+ tourism, strengthens its management structure by appointing Edgar Weggelaar as the new CEO of the company. Queer Destinations, which already operates in more than 7 countries, works closely with the Federal Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, as well as with companies such as Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, Palladium Hotel Group and Meliá Hotels International. The company holds a unique worldwide distinction for companies and service providers (Queer Destinations Committed) that guarantees community travelers a standard of excellence, safety and responsibility. The appointment of the new CEO comes at a key moment for the company, which is in the process of expanding into the North American and Asia-Pacific markets and strengthening its current presence in Latin America and Europe. The project also has as a new partner Juan P. Juliá Blanch, founder and president of Axel Hotels, the global hotel chain focused on LGBTQ+ tourism and who was president of the IGLTA Board of Directors during 2016-2019.

Edgar Weggelaar is an outstanding professional with extensive experience in inbound and outbound tourism, both domestically and internationally. For more than 18 years, he has worked for groups such as TUI BENELUX and Intermed Travel Group, as responsible and director of destinations such as Greece, Turkey and Egypt. He has also served as a key person, member of Board Member and CEO of some of the most important companies of the Julià Group for 10 years: Juliá Travel and Juliá Travel WorldWide. Pioneering examples of global tour operation, distribution and tourism transport with offices in Spain, Andorra, Italy, UK, USA, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina and Australia. He is co-founder and Vice President of the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) in Seville, a global event on technology, innovation, diversity and sustainability applied to tourism, where he continues to serve as Strategic Advisor for this and other events organized by Nebext (Next Business Exhibitions). In addition, Weggelaar holds a degree in Business, Tourism and Recreation from the Erasmushogeschool in Brussels (Belgium) and a PDD (Management Development Program) from IESE and speaks 9 languages.

For Oriol Pàmies, founder and president of Queer Destinations, the addition of Weggelaar to the project is key to continuing to drive the company’s international expansion. “The trajectory, notoriety and experience of Weggelaar, who is also a partner of the company, will mark a before and after in a project that is transforming the tourism industry, promoting diversity and inclusion from education,” he highlighted.

Queer Destinations was founded in 2019 by Oriol Pàmies as the bridge that connects governments, destinations and companies in the tourism sector with the potential of the LGBTQ+ segment. In alliance with the IGLTA (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association), the company works hand in hand with governments (Spain, Mexico, among others…) in order to promote LGBTQ+ tourism strategies at a national level whose basis lies in raising awareness of destinations and companies to give the best attention to the traveler. Through the Queer Destinations Committed Distinction, which today is present in more than 7 countries, more than 15,000 industry professionals have gone through its awareness building process which is supported by the main players in the industry, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Marriott Hotels International, Meliá International, Palladium Hotel Group, Hard Rock Hotels, Hertz, among others. An initiative that is changing the way in which the LGBTQ+ community makes its travel decisions, being able to choose from more and more destinations and companies that are making a demonstrable effort to welcome them according to international standards.

The post Queer Destinations Announces Edgar Weggelaar as New CEO appeared first on Queer Destinations.

Queer Destinations certifies hotel hosting IGLTA’s annual LGBTQ + tourism convention in Atlanta

Editorial Team — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 21:11:29 +0000

The recovery of the international tourism industry, catering to the LGBTQ+ segment, is a fact. 73% of tourists from this community, from countries such as the United States, Canada and Mexico, say they have plans to travel according to the latest International LGBT Tourism Association (IGLTA) Travel Survey. Subsequently, one of the main goals now is to ensure an optimal travel experience, through the awareness of employees in this industry. For this reason, Queer Destinations (QD) has carried out an awareness course for the staff of the hotel hosting the annual LGBTQ+ tourism convention this year, with the aim of improving tourist experience.

Queer Destinations is a global leader in the field, currently successfully leading the tourism recovery strategy for LGBTQ+ segments in countries such as Mexico. Within the framework of the IGLTA international convention in Atlanta, QD has expanded its operations to the United States as well. The certification of hotel staff consists of a 4-hour management training and awareness course, carried out days prior to the convention by the CEO, Oriol Pamies, who is also a member of the board of directors of the IGLTA.

IGLTA has been organising this annual meeting for 38 years to promote tourism for the community, as well as to provide resources and information for tourists, companies and host destinations in more than 80 countries around the world. This is the first time that the hotel hosting the IGLTA convention has received awareness training on how to improve good practices in terms of communication, treatment and reception of tourists from the community.

Oriol Pamies said, “being ‘QD certified’ is a guarantee for destinations and companies as well as a ‘must’ for the community tourist who seeks to enjoy an inclusive, safe and great experience. It is very strategic to work with the LGBTQ+ community to speed up the recovery of world tourism”. For this reason, Pamies celebrates that, for the first time, the hotel hosting the IGLTA convention has been fully prepared. Likewise, he has ensured that “the training and specialisation in diversity of professionals in the tourism sector is a growing market demand”.

Subsequently, the host hotel joins a list of destinations, hotels and service providers certified by Queer Destinations, a leading company in the development of strategies to promote LGBTQ+ tourism internationally. After signing an agreement with the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Queer Destinations has already trained more than 15,000 tourism service providers across the country and expects to reach 100,000 providers before the end of the year. Queer Destinations also collaborates with brands such as Marriott, Hyatt, Meliá, Palladium and Hard Rock, as well as destinations in Mexico such as Los Cabos, Oaxaca and Morelos. Queer Destinations is in the process of expansion to countries such as Spain, Costa Rica and Colombia.

The post Queer Destinations certifies hotel hosting IGLTA’s annual LGBTQ + tourism convention in Atlanta appeared first on Queer Destinations.