Saudi Arabia’s tourism authority says the country welcomes LGBTQ+ visitors

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) is making an effort to let LGBTQ+ tourists know that they are welcome.

According to CNN, the STA recently updated its website’s Q&A section stating that “gay visitors are welcome in the kingdom.”

The unforeseen answer was in reply to a question on the site’s FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

Their response. “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details.”

The outlet was not able to confirm when the STA website was updated. The STA claimed the policy has already been in place. However, CNN revealed that the question and answer were missing from an archived site version as recent as March 14, 2023.

While the statement would typically be an elation, this stance from Saudi Arabia can cause some apprehension.

Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia. Historically, members of the LBGTQ+ community have been subject to arrest, humiliation and torture.

CNN shared a statement from the Human Dignity Trust, an organization that campaigns for the rights of LGBT people around the world.

“Trans people can also face prosecution in Saudi, with “substantial evidence of the law being enforced” and “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against LGBTQ people.

With such a marked history of the long-standing view, one could wonder what would make the country change its ideology so suddenly.

Some speculate that it’s a grab to attract LGBTQ+ travelers.

Darren Burn is the CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform. He knows how lucrative the LGBTQ+ traveler market is.

“Research shows they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples and tend to travel more times a year,” Burn told CNN.

“It’s a very interesting and lucrative demographic, and countries are plowing major revenue into [attracting] it.”

The question now is if LGBTQ+ travelers will feel comfortable traveling to Saudi.

Burn stated that destinations such as the Maldives and Dubai, where homosexuality is a criminal offense, are “popular, but without more assurances from the authorities, Saudi Arabia could be a tougher sell.”

“It’s pretty vague, and doesn’t offer the assurances that would make me feel able to send our clients safely to the destination, but anything on the website about LGBT travelers is a good starting point.”

He continued. “I can’t think of another Middle Eastern tourist board that has even mentioned them, except Qatar in the run-up to the World Cup, and even that was vague, saying that everyone was welcome.”

“But my concern is what the reality is like in the destination. Are they saying that a same-sex couple can check into a hotel and get a double bed without any issues? My hunch would be that that’s not the reality.”

Burn remained positive, claiming that Saudi could potentially be a gay-friendly destination.

“We’d welcome a conversation with the tourist board and government to work out a way that LGBTQ+ travelers can genuinely travel in a safe way, to see them put money behind promoting to LGBT communities and making changes to LGBT rights locally to make Saudi Arabia an authentic destination that appeals.”

He added that “mindsets would never change” without “travel and tourists coming to the destinations.” This could open doors for LGBTQ+ travelers.

CNN spoke with an STA spokesperson. They doubled down on their website statement. “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi, provided that they follow and respect our culture, traditions and laws, as you would when you visit any other country in the world”

“Like other governments, we do not ask visitors personal questions and we respect the right to privacy.”

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly.