Ahead of ILTM North America’s welcome reception, officially kicking off the conference at Baha Mar this week, Proud Experiences took the stage to discuss LGBTQ+ travel. In an ongoing series by LATTE U.S. covering the topic, one of the things brought up was that most often LGBTQ+ travel discussions and marketing only centres around the first two letters – standing for lesbian and gay. Following a drag queen performance, Haisley Smith, SVP, Partner Relations, Internova Travel Group, and Kimberly Wilson Wetty, Founder and CEO of Keep Wondering Why, had a conversation, with the latter provided firsthand insight into the “T” and “Q” of that acronym.

Life Lessons From a Parent

Wilson, who shared that one of her children is trans, spoke to attendees about her child’s experiences – as a person and as a traveller – as well as her own – as a mother and former luxury travel advisor executive, and relayed the lessons she’s learned from their shared experiences.

Wilson spoke about when her child had told her about her transition. She said, “As a parent, you want to have the answers. You want to be the strong one. You want to be there for your children.” But she found that – in this instance – she didn’t have all the answers. And that was OK.

A major theme of the conversation was that it’s OK to make a mistake. The important part is learning from it and trying harder the next time.

“I needed to learn to make mistakes,” Wilson said. “I needed to learn to ask questions and listen to what Ash (her child, who is transgender and describes themselves as nonbinary and queer) was going through.”

Since then, Wilson has made it her mission to spread awareness about the challenges facing trans people, both while travelling and in society.

Why Spreading the Word Is Crucial

The conversation, she said, is important because there’s increasingly smaller odds that a luxury travel advisor today won’t have a trans client. Whether it’s the paying client themselves, a child of theirs or someone within their travel party. In other words: it’s something that can’t be ignored.

The good news: there are plenty of non-intrusive ways to broach this conversation with your clients, should they not bring it up outright. “We’re so good, as travel advisors, at asking for a million details – from what thread count do you want on your sheets to what bottle of water [do you like]. But are we asking, ‘What are your pronouns’ and what are their preferences when they want to check in,” said Wilson, giving the term “Mx.” as an example.

When a repeat client comes in, you can ask if any forms or information on their family needs to be updated; if they have anything to share, they will appreciate that you gave them this opportunity to approach the conversation.

Advisors must also consider safety when sending trans clients abroad – even more so than for other clients. Wilson explained: “Not all destinations are friendly to this community, and it’s our responsibility as advisors to make sure that we are recommending places that fit for everybody in the family.”

Wilson offered up two other pieces of advice to advisors. One: educate yourself and train your staff. Small improvements are better than none. And, two: “Don’t make it awkward [for the client] … it’s who they are.”

For those looking to learn more, Wilson recommended the IGLTA (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association) and Out of Office Travel.