《TAIPEI TIMES》 LGBTQ+ travelers facing obstacles in Taiwan: poll

By Chen Hsin-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

About one-third of LGBTQ+ travelers reported negative experiences with Taiwanese service personnel due to their gender identification or sexual orientation, a poll commissioned by the international booking platform Hotels.com showed.

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Thirty-two percent of respondents said they had been prevented from using some hotel facilities, while 34 percent said they found hotel facilities or other items unsuitable to their needs, Hotels.com said in a new release on Thursday.

Thirty-two percent said they had been stared at by hotel staff when showing affection to their partners, the booking site said.

About one-third of the travelers said they had refrained from certain behaviors to avoid attention, while 43 percent said they tuned down interaction with their partners or disguised their relationship while in public, it said.

Forty-three percent also said they dressed differently to avoid attention, Hotels.com said.

As for their choice of travel destination, 83 percent said LGBTQ+ friendliness is an important factor when booking a hotel, with 44 percent saying that they check a hotel’s Web site for statements of LGBTQ+ friendliness, 39 percent saying they prefer hotels recommended by others in the community and 33 percent saying they look out for quality of service, it said.

The survey showed that LGBTQ+ travelers display strong brand loyalty, with 69 percent saying that they would stay again at hotels where they had a positive and friendly experience.

As for what makes an experience positive for LGBTQ+ travelers, 37 percent said the availability of gender-neutral accommodations is the most important aspect, 36 percent said it is the availability of safe local tours and attractions, and 32 percent said it is the use of non-discriminatory language at hotels, the booking site said.

The poll showed that 35 percent of travelers valued friendly staff and efficient service, 41 percent valued clean and comfortable rooms, and 34 percent valued good dining services.

The hospitality industry should train employees to treat all guests with respect and empathy to be competitive, Hotels.com said.

The poll was conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 10 by research group OnePoll, the booking site said.

The poll collected responses from 1,350 self-identified LGBTQ+ travelers aged 25 to 40 from the Asia-Pacific region, it said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES