We’re all a little nervous here in the tourism industry. While friends in the gay travel industry like Adam are finding creative ways of coping and Two Bad Tourists are updating their site to keep things fresh, it seems like we’re all on standby for the foreseeable future. A summer in Paris without tourists? It’s looking entirely possible.

Sure, cruises are optimistic, and airlines are hoping to fly again, but until there’s an effective vaccine or treatment, coronavirus will scare travelers away. Or at least some of them.

Looking to the future, however, we’re confident that gay travelers will be back in force. Facing hardship and challenges head-on is sort of our thing. There’s no reason we’d sacrifice that spirit this time around.

We might be generalizing a bit here, but these reasons present a fairly strong case for why gay travelers – and the businesses that support them – should be at the forefront of revitalizing the travel industry.

1. We’re no strangers to viruses

This isn’t our first time facing a health-related challenge. When HIV appeared decades ago, it tragically decimated the LGBTQ population. It impacts the way we think of traveling, of taking risk, of exposing others. It still haunts us today, very much a real threat even if drugs like PrEP offer hope against the virus. Of course it’s not the same, but there are parallels that we can trace between the two.

Lady Corona? She’s not as bad. We know about taking precautions to avoid preventable diseases, and traveling in this new environment won’t be a challenge. If any gay traveler refuses to wear a mask, we’d be disappointed – but also a bit surprised.

2. We’re used to researching safety precautions

How many straight travelers have to research, “Can I hold my partner’s hand” or “Can I be killed because of my sexuality” before traveling? We doubt it’s many. Of course, it’s not the most popular destinations that are posing the problem, but still! The world is not an entirely friendly place for LGBTQ travelers, and we know we have to research how to stay safe when roaming new lands. Sad? Yes. True. Yep.

All of this to say that we will be smart when planning our trips. We’ll do our research as always, making smart decisions and choices. It’s an instinct for most of us, and applying it all to coronavirus will likely be no different.

3. We’re open to trendsetting

When it comes to trends, we’re on it. Smaller cities? Lesser-known destinations? Remote countries? LGBTQ travelers were never a group to do things the same way as everyone else. As the travel industry begins to redirect people towards less-populous destinations or to outdoor activities, it’ll be interesting to see what gay travelers do. What trends will we create? What trends will we popularize?

Will we go back to the cities we know and love – Sitges, Paris, Berlin, Rio – or will we take alternative paths, going to places no one ever thought of before, creating a new trend? Either, or both, is a possibility, but if anyone is going to beat a new path, it’s going to be LGBTQ travelers.

4. We have (generally) more flexible budgets

It may seem contentious, I know, but the so-called pink dollar – pink pound in the UK – is still strong. LGBTQ travelers tend to travel more and with more disposable income. Some reports even show lesbians and gays earning more than their heterosexual counterparts.

Of course many families with LGBTQ parents might argue this, and unemployment is skyrocketing right now, but it’s still a general trend that has existed over the years. While stay at home orders have lead to families and individuals struggling to make ends meet, we’re confident that gay travelers will be some of the first to hit the road again. We just hope they’ll be looking to invest some of that saved-up money in LGBTQ-owned businesses.

5. We have a strong sense of community

To that end, LGBTQ travelers are part of a larger community – something that not every traveler can claim. When we go to destinations, we have enclaves, we make connections, and we meet locals that color our experiences and create a deeper sense of place. There are services like misterb&b among others that help guide us to the experiences we want and need. We may have taken it for granted, but hopefully not anymore.

As we move forward and start imagining booking trips again, LGBTQ travelers will rally, working together and, more importantly, celebrating together the life-changing travel experiences that drive us all to do what we do.

We’ll be smart about it, of course, and safe. But we’ll get there. We’re looking forward to seeing you all again in Paris when the time is right!