Lisbon has been named the most LGBTI+ friendly city in the world in Big 7 Travel's annual ranking.

Porto came in third, making Portugal the only country with two cities in the top 10 globally in this inclusion index. Dublin ranked second, followed by London, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Toronto, and Sydney, which round out the 2025 Top 10.

Among other factors, the Big 7 Travel study highlighted "the safety, vibrant nightlife, and inclusive policies of Portuguese cities." This international recognition is seen as the result of Portugal's long-term strategic commitment to LGBTI+ tourism, initiated in 2017. In fact, the Tourism Strategy 2027 already defined the objective of "promoting Portugal as an LGBTI+ destination" – a guideline that has materialized in campaigns such as "Proudly Portugal" and in the country's positioning as an inclusive, open, and safe destination for tourists of all orientations and identities.

"When we defined the tourism strategy for the decade in 2017, we clearly assumed the objective of promoting Portugal as an LGBTI+ tourist destination. Today, we see this goal achieved – and even surpassed – with two Portuguese cities topping international rankings. This year, the Tourism Strategy 2035 will be presented, and we hope it will continue this winning commitment," says Diogo Vieira da Silva, coordinator of Portugal Pride and co-founder of the association Variações – LGBTI+ Commerce and Tourism of Portugal.

The community expects the new national tourism strategy to consolidate this line of inclusion. "It is crucial that the 2035 Tourism Strategy reinforces the importance of the LGBTI+ segment. If this does not happen, it will be worrying. The economic returns of this segment are evident, and its absence from a strategy would only be explained by ideological reasons, not by a lack of economic value," emphasizes Diogo Vieira da Silva.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), LGBTI+ tourism already represents more than US$200 billion in annual consumption. Recent market studies project that this figure could exceed US$600 billion in the next decade.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that LGBTI+ travellers constitute 5% to 10% of all tourists and that, on average, they travel more frequently and spend more than other market segments. These indicators demonstrate the strong social and economic impact of LGBTI+ tourism on a global scale, making it one of the fastest-growing segments in the travel industry.

Despite international success, Diogo Vieira da Silva emphasizes that much of this progress in Portugal has been driven by private and civil society initiatives. "These results were possible thanks to the efforts of businesspeople and associations, which filled a gap in official entities. To this day, national and regional tourism promotion agencies do not have teams dedicated to the LGBTI+ segment, unlike other markets."

Furthermore, the coordinator of Portugal Pride emphasizes that Pride events in the country – with a few exceptions like EuroPride – "survive without institutional support," citing as an example Porto Pride, which will take place from September 12th to 14th, the largest Pride event in the north of the country, organized by the local community "without any public support," criticizes Diogo Vieira da Silva.

As the first country to have two cities at the top of the Big 7 Travel ranking, "Portugal is now reaping the rewards of years of work toward inclusion," recalling the coordinator of Portugal Pride that our country "was one of the first countries in the world to promote itself internationally as an LGBTI+ destination, with the Proudly Portugal campaign launched in 2019."

Currently, as a consultant in the LGBTI+ tourism sector, Diogo Vieira da Silva sees this recognition as "proof that investing in inclusive tourism is worthwhile, not only for the economic return, but because it reinforces the values of diversity and inclusion that define Portugal's image." He concludes that, "it is up to us to continue this path of openness, ensuring that LGBTI+ tourism remains a strategic priority for the future of our country."

Top 10 Most LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities According to Big 7 Travel (2025):

1 – Lisbon, Portugal

2 – Dublin, Ireland

3 – Porto, Portugal

4 – London, United Kingdom

5 – Madrid, Spain

6 – Berlin, Germany

7 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

8 – San Francisco, USA

9 – Toronto, Canada

10 – Sydney, Australia