Founded in 2012, the IGLTA Foundation is the 501(c)3 public charity subsidiary of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association.
The Foundation is governed by a 15-member
volunteer board of leading travel professionals
appointed by the IGLTA Board of Directors.
Vision
The IGLTA Foundation supports initiatives for industry organizations, leaders and communities to advance LGBTQ travel around the world.
Primary Areas of Activity
I. Leadership
II. Communication
III. Education
Leadership
The IGLTA Foundation provides support to industry organizations, leaders and communities to encourage pro-LGBTQ government actions, business practices, and other travel-related practices that have direct bearing on the physical and emotional well-being of LGBTQ travelers.
Key Initiatives
The LGBTQ Travelers’ “Bill of Rights”
Working with travel-industry partners, the IGLTA Foundation is crafting a set of principles that articulates fundamental rights of LGBTQ travelers. Chief among them are personal safety and equal and respectful treatment by governments and businesses.
Once this set of principles is ratified by the IGLTA Board of Directors and Membership, the IGLTA Foundation will provide funds for the IGLTA staff to work with such partners as the United Nations World Tourism Organization,international tourism organizations and national tourism boards to seek official national-government endorsements of the statement on LGBTQ Travelers’fundamental rights.
When deemed appropriate, the IGLTA Foundation will provide funds to IGLTA to publicize the signatory nations across all traditional and digital media platforms and to attend international consumer and trade exhibitions, where IGLTA will display prominent signage celebrating countries that have ratified the document and encouraging LGBTQ travelers to visit them.
National Legislation & Human Rights
The IGLTA Foundation funds IGLTA’s activities to monitor legislative action by nations worldwide that will impact LGBTQ travelers. It also provides resources for IGLTA to engage actively with other non-governmental organizations seeking to influence legislation to benefit LGBTQ travelers, including providing travel funds for IGLTA leadership invited by governments and tourism boards to testify on the positive economic and cultural impact of LGBTQ tourism. The IGLTA Foundation is also an official partner of ECPAT (End Child Prostitution And Trafficking)International.
Communication
The IGLTA Foundation provides financial support to IGLTA to collect and disseminate information to its members and LGBTQ travelers about government actions,industry trends, original research, and international developments and activities that have potential to impact LGBTQ travelers and the businesses that welcome them.
Key Initiatives
Global Research
The IGLTA Foundation funds IGLTA to collect and disseminate the very best industry-research from trustworthy sources around the world. This research not only provides invaluable demographic information to better serve LGBTQ travelers but also compelling economic data to encourage governments and tourism boards to recognize the capacity of LGBTQ travelers to positively impact their own tourism economies and the livelihoods that depend on them. The IGLTA Foundation also funds original research on issues affecting the LGBTQ travel industry where no current, credible research exists.
IGLTA Annual Global Convention
The IGLTA Foundation funds IGLTA’s efforts to secure the most relevant and knowledgeable experts to present current actionable information on developments and trends that present opportunities or threats to the LGBTQ travel industry and/or LGBTQ travelers. These experts represent governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry professionals and other uniquely qualified individuals who can offer the best information in their fields.
Digital Media Resources
The IGLTA Foundation funds IGLTA to maintain a state-of-the-art website and electronic newsletter, with critical news alerts, legislative updates, industry developments, and research findings relating to LGBTQ travel. To further serve emerging destinations, the IGLTA Foundation is committed to providing funds to translate the IGLTA website into Mandarin and Spanish.
Distribution
The IGLTA Foundation will pro-actively communicate key findings in order to continuously improve the state of LGBTQ travel around the world.
Education
The IGLTA Foundation understands that advancing the safety and well being of LGBTQ travelers requires providing opportunities to succeed for the next generation of travel professionals committed to serving them and for LGBT-welcoming travel professionals in destinations lacking government or business support for LGBTQ tourism—especially in nations with governments that are hostile to the LGBTQ community.
Institutional Scholarships
The IGLTA Foundation is committed to providing merit-based, educational scholarships to LGBTQ university students in accredited collegiate or workforce-training programs who have expressed a commitment to serve LGBTQ travelers to offset the costs of obtaining a degree in the field.
Financial Assistance for Professional Development
Each year, the IGLTA Foundation provides financial support for travel and accommodations for the IGLTA Annual Global Convention for up to four students as well as up to four small-business leaders who have a documented commitment to serving LGBTQ travelers,particularly in destinations lacking LGBTQ tourism support and/or destinations having anti-gay governments. Participation in the Annual Global Convention provides these students and small-business leaders with essential information& training, contacts with industry leaders, and professional networking opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
The IGLTA Foundation also funds IGLTA memberships for small-business leaders to provide access to IGLTA resources and assets in emerging destinations that demonstrate need and lack of support from their government and business community. Since 2012, Association memberships have been funded for small businesses in Cambodia, China, Colombia,Ecuador, Indonesia, Jamaica, Montenegro, Peru, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Vietnam.
For more information:
Follow: Facebook.com/IGLTAFoundation
Contact: [email protected]
For more details on the Scholarship Application, Click Here.
Cape Town 2016
IGLTA board member Rika Jean-Francois with Annual Global Convention scholarship recipients (L to R) Vidar Nilsen (Norway), Hlengiwe Buthelezi (South Africa) and students from the International Hotel School in Cape Town.
Los Angeles 2015
Scholarship recipients (L to R) Wang Hao (China), Ena Yanagi (Japan), Olubode Shawn Brown (Jamaica), Kan Kikumoto (Japan) and Fabio Rugeles (Colombia).
Madrid 2014
Foundation board member Gregg Kaminsky with Annual Global Convention scholarship recipients (L to R) Robert Washington Jr. (U.S.), Janice Tjon Sien Kie (Curacao), Marco Jaramillo (Colombia), Ryan Romero (U.S.), and Murilo Lima Araujo Costa (Brazil)
Chicago 2013
Scholarship recipients (L to R) Aaron Paiva Leyton (Peru), Kleber de Oliveira da Silva (Brazil), Kathy Eow (U.S.), Teddy Frank (Liberia), and Jermain Tjin-A-Koeng (Suriname) with former Foundation Executive Director Travis Ferland
The IGLTA Foundation subsidizes association memberships for small LGBT-friendly tourism businesses in emerging destinations, i.e. places that lack governmental support or LGBTQ infrastructure.
Since the program was launched 13 October, 2013 we have added members in Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, and Jamaica.
As the Foundation grows, we plan to expand these efforts to include Annual Global Convention registrations along with travel expenses and tables in our Unique Destinations trade show. Assisting in the professional growth of future LGBTQ tourism leaders worldwide helps to make travel more welcoming for us all.
For more information on this program, please go to www.iglta.org/emerging
