Are You Missing Out on a $12B Tourism Market? What Every Tourism Business Should Know About 2SLGBTQI+ Travellers

If you only read one blog post this year from OHTO, let it be this one.  

At the Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO), we recognize that small business owners have limited time and resources to dedicate to marketing. It’s natural for operators to focus first on the audiences that feel most familiar and easiest to reach.

One important audience highlighted through new research is the 2SLGBTQI+ travel community.

The 2SLGBTQI+ community is a niche market representing between three and five per cent of all travellers in the North American market, while accounting for approximately 11 per cent of total tourism spending in Canada (roughly $12 billion).  

Despite this significant potential, understanding of this growing segment remains limited, particularly when it comes to its influence on regional travel within Ontario. 

To help fill this gap, OHTO collaborated with Hastings County, the Municipality of Tweed, and the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association (OVTA) and 21 other tourism partners to participate in Destination Ontario’s 2SLGBTQI+ Traveller Study Research Partnership initiative with the Context Research Group Inc.  This study marks the first Ontario-wide, multi-market and identity-segmented dataset developed for the 2SLGBTQI+ market, and captures rural destination insights for operators and small towns in Ontario’s Highlands.

About the Study

Launched in January 2026, this partnership involved working closely with the research partner, Context Research Group, to establish the study parameters and ensure the Ontario’s Highlands’ region was fully represented in the research.  

Between March 27 and April 18, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada, U.S. drive markets, U.S. fly markets, UK, Germany and Mexico were surveyed. Participants were required to have either travelled for leisure in the past two years and/or be actively planning a leisure trip in the next two years.  

From 3,488 self-identified 2SLGBTQI+ respondents, the study explored:  

• Travel profiles, habits, and decision-making behaviour
• Awareness, perceptions and intent to visit Ontario as a leisure destination
• Key motivators for travel
• Role of safety, inclusion and trust in destination choice
• Role of Pride and 2SLGBTQI+ events in driving travel to Ontario, barriers  
• Deterrents that could prevent 2SLGBTQI+ travellers from choosing Ontario  
• Preferred channels, messaging formats and booking pathways

Research results showed that Ontario is widely perceived as safe, welcoming, and inclusive - a strength that consistently influences destination choice among 2SLGBTQI+ travellers, but there is room for improvement. 

Why Investigate the 2SLGBTQI+ Market?

Partners joined this project to better understand the 2SLGBTQI+ market, the opportunities it represents for the region, and to better understand the economic opportunities this $12B travel segment represents for the region.

Available data supports the strength of this traveller potential. A 2022 Destination Ontario partnership study that OHTO collaborated on, identified the 2SLGBTQI+ traveller as a high-value market, that spends an estimated $12 billion in Canada annually.  

In fact, 2SLGBTQI+ travellers spend twice as much and stay longer than mainstream travellers. Canada is the top travel destination for the U.S. 2SLGBTQI+ travellers, with Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto as top destinations.  

It was this understanding that motivated Hastings County, Tweed, and OVTA to invest in the partnership with OHTO and Destination Ontario.

“This study gives us the clearest picture we’ve ever had of the 2SLGBTQI+ traveller and the opportunity they represent for our region. Ontario’s Highlands is already delivering the kinds of experiences this audience is seeking, like nature, small towns, and outdoor adventure.  Our goal now is to work with our partners and communities interested in connecting better with this community and ensuring the experiences we offer are aligned with their expectations.” said Nicole Whiting, OHTO Executive Director.

“Understanding the 2SLGBTQ+ traveller market is important for us to know more about our traveller profiles, both who is already visiting and who our potential visitors are, what their travelling intent and interests are, the visual signals that are being looked for and what supports and resources we can offer our businesses owners to be safe and inclusive spaces,” explained Jen Burke, Hastings County Tourism Development Coordinator.  

Erin Norris, OVTA’s Tourism Industry Relations and Digital Marketing Coordinator, echoes this sentiment.  

“The biggest takeaways we have from this study is understanding that we have desirable offerings in our region, like adventure tourism, and with continued efforts to build diversity, equity and inclusion is a big opportunity for the Ottawa Valley,” said Norris.  

7 Key Takeaways for Your Business

1. Nature and Outdoor Experiences Are a Major Draw

Travellers aware of Ontario’s Highlands show above‑average interest in:

• Natural scenery
• Outdoor adventure
• Cottages, cabins, and resorts

These interests align well with Ontario’s Highland’s strengths.

2. Shoulder Seasons Are a Growth Opportunity

Spring and fall interest is stronger than average among this audience, and especially for nature‑based destinations like OHTO.

3. Inclusion Signals Matter

Legal protections, community attitudes, and political climate are the top factors influencing destination choice for the 2SLGBTQI+ market. Operators who use their platforms to communicate safety, welcome and inclusion will stand out in the marketplace. Providing staff training on inclusion for 2SLGBTQI+ travellers can make a big difference in reception at your business.

4. This is a High-Value Market

2SLGBTQI+ travellers spend more, stay longer, travel more frequently, and are more likely to explore beyond urban centres. Data from the study indicates:

• International 2SLGBTQI+ travellers stay between 7 and 10 nights
• Travellers spend an average of $4,900 and $6,500 per trip
• The 2SLGBQTI+ market travels more frequently than mainstream travellers

5. Ontario’s Highlands is a Perfect Fit for this Market

Lesbian and bi+ women and trans/non‑binary travellers - two high‑intent segments - show strong preference for experiences that align perfectly with Ontario’s Highlands’ key activity pillars:

• Nature
• Small towns
• Glamping
• Community‑scale experiences (ie. small town exploration, shopping, museums)

6. Pride Travel Drives Regional Visitation

Most Pride attendees say they would explore beyond the event location — this is an opportunity for OHTO to position itself as a post‑Pride nature escape for 2SLGBTQI+ travellers attending Pride events in larger urban centres.

7. Authenticity Is Essential

Performative or unauthentic messaging reduces trust in a destination. This audience values:

• Genuine representation
• Respectful language
• Real people and real stories
• Visible inclusion

Are you a safe and welcoming space or do you know of any others in your region that are 2SLGBTQI+ friendly? Share with us through our Monthly Guiding Question. 

Want to learn more about how to become a 2SLGBTQI+ safe and welcoming space? Access free educational resources and toolkits that can help support staff training, creating a welcoming space, and marketing messaging in the OHTO Member Portal.