A tour guide has the responsibility to promote equality, fairness, and freedom of all, for all, with respect and no exception.
I conceive tourism as an inclusive industry without making any differentiation on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender and sexual preferences nor orientations.
Being inclusive means a lot to me. It deals with dignity and the humanity of our visitors. I strive to make people feel free to be themselves and, really, there’s nothing like feeling accepted.
For me diversity is something that needs to be reflected behind the scenes, so consumers know it’s genuine. Promoting equality requires us to adapt our behaviors, as well as respect all customers.
For example, a travel experience is different for the LGBTQ+ community on when and where to show affection, on laws around same-sex activities, and gender-related issues, etc., to name a few.
A rainbow sticker in the window, or a flag, is a good thing, but needs to go much further. Being open-minded can be beneficial but it needs much more.
It’s essential to educate, empower, and provide economic opportunities to create an inclusive community for local LGBTQ residents and therefore for travelers.
Businesses should align their services with other LGBTQ-friendly businesses nearby to improve their products and services. It’s important to focus on understanding the LGBTQ community in all its diversity before trying to capture it.
Just because a place is safe for straight white males and their relatives doesn’t mean that others, who are queer, would also have the same experience and feel safe there too.
There’s been tentative progress in Puerto Rico recently to give the impression of a more open Society in terms of equality. That’s good and important, but there’s more way to go. But, for now it’s important while we continue advancing towards equality.
I shall continue my path of building bridges and collaborations to offer a quality and safe service that respects the humanity and dignity of all our visitors.
