The situation of LGBT people in many regions of the world is, to put it mildly, not a pleasant one. One of these regions can be considered the countries of the Caribbean.
While the challenges are largely self-evident in the human rights context, discrimination against LGBT minorities also has economic implications and has a significant impact on the tourism industry, as shown in a recent study by Open For Business (OFB).
The report analyzed 12 English-speaking countries in the Caribbean region (for example, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados) and made an unequivocal conclusion that “not very” friendly attitude towards the LGBT community in these countries leads to very significant economic losses.
Discriminatory laws and violence
At the heart of the problem is the country’s legislation. Sexual activity of same-sex couples is criminalized in 9 out of 12 countries. Moreover, no country legalizes gender reassignment or gender data on official IDs.
But it is not only the official line of the respective governments that creates problems for the LGBT community in the Caribbean. There are also multiple facts of violence against these minorities and general social hostility in society.
Tourism is one of the “victims”
The OFB report unequivocally concluded that a not-so-friendly approach to LGBT minorities has economic implications, which also affects the tourism sector.
It is not surprising that tourism is of great importance for the analyzed countries, since it accounts for 14% of the GDP of these countries.
According to the report, anti-LGBT laws, violence and social intolerance result in annual losses of $ 435 million to $ 689 million for the region, or 0.57-0.93% of regional GDP.
Moreover, according to the study, 18% of the respondents would not go on vacation to the region, citing discrimination against LGBTQ people as the main reason for such refusal.
As such, the report can serve as a tool for the governments of the analyzed countries as the Caribbean hopes to recover from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.