Australia’s First “Rainbow Ready Accreditation” To Recognise LGBTQ+ Friendly Tourism Businesses
Image: Wikimedia Commons
A Tasmanian LGBTQ+ inclusion program has just gone national, allowing tourism businesses across Australia to become “Rainbow Ready” certified. Businesses accredited via the pioneering program will attain formal recognition of their commitment to fostering queer-friendly environments where all participants feel respected, valued, and welcome.
“Rainbow Ready”: Who Started It?
The program builds off of the Rainbow Tasmania Tourism Accreditation, an initiative led by the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania (TICT) in 2013. The free accreditation, yet another country-first LGBTQ+ initiative from the southern state, required businesses to prove they were welcoming of LGBTQ+ individuals and in compliance with the state’s 1998 Anti-Discrimination Act. Now, however, the initiative is expanding to all of Australia.
“Tasmania developed this program more than a decade ago because our industry recognised the importance of making LGBTQIA+ visitors feel genuinely safe and welcome,” TICT CEO Amy Hills said.
“But expectations and best practice continue to evolve. This has been an opportunity to take what Tasmania pioneered, modernise it with contemporary research and community and industry input, and make it available to tourism businesses across Australia.
“Tasmanians can be proud of an initiative developed here, shaped by our community and tourism industry, that is now helping set a national standard for inclusive visitor experiences. Inclusion is the right thing to do, and it is also good business. Travellers notice who makes them feel welcome, respected and safe, and they book accordingly.”
How Do Businesses Get Certified?
Rainbow Ready Accreditation is available through the Quality Tourism Framework and is free to complete for businesses holding Sustainable Tourism Accreditation.
Businesses seeking accreditation via the program will be assessed across areas including policies and compliance, operational practices, physical environment and marketing, guest information, and staff development and preparedness.
The national rollout was developed by the existing program’s founder, TICT, alongside Dr Faith Ong of The University of Queensland, Associate Professor Clifford Lewis of Charles Sturt University, and Dr Luke Greenacre of Monash University.
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stop saying “LGBTQ friendly” when you mean “white cis straight appearing gay friendly” ya knobs.