LGBT Travellers Wooed by Tourism Industry in Southeast Asia

A report in the Travel section of the Hindustan Times say Southeast Asia is working hard to attract LGBT tourists. Apparently, LGBT people represent a lucrative niche market, according to  ITB Asia executive director Nino Gruettke. Says Gruettke: “While Thailand and Bali are traditionally popular with the community, Cambodia, Vietnam and India are also emerging as hotspots” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers.

More hotels are listing themselves as gay-friendly, according to the article, though I’m betting they mean LGBT-friendly. One of those hotels is in Singapore, where homosexuality is still considered a crime. Sooo, I gotta wonder about that.

And this: “LGBT vacations in Asia are still relatively new, given that homosexuality is still not generally well-accepted in Asian societies.”

Still, it is nice to see the travel industry there reaching out to LGBT people. I only hope they can offer assurances that LGBT people won’t become targets of discrimination and/or imprisonment.

Meanwhile, I am saddened to learn today that two members of the punk collective Pussy Riot have been sent off to tough Russian penal colonies to serve their prison sentences. The punishment seems awful severe for hooliganism, i.e. what was essentially a youthful protest prank that didn’t actually hurt anyone. I suppose the punishment is a warning for others there: dissent of that nature will be dealt with severely?

Sourced:  blogs