Travel intelligence firm Riskline has released its 2026 LGBTQ risk map, warning of a troubling global deterioration in rights and safety for queer travelers. The report says 91 destinations are now classified as high risk for LGBTQ travelers, and another 62 are rated medium risk.
Researchers said restrictions have tightened in recent years in countries including the United States, Japan, and parts of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. The changes include new laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, stricter identification requirements, and other measures that can make travel harder for LGBTQ people.
The report also notes some positive developments in southern Africa. In Botswana, for example, provisions in the penal code that had criminalized same-sex relations for years were removed. Those offenses had previously carried prison sentences of up to seven years.
Riskline said its rankings are based on local laws, social attitudes, on-the-ground intelligence, and human rights data, and are updated continuously with safety alerts and guidance. The report warns that many companies still do not give adequate protection to LGBTQ employees traveling for work. Lorena Peña, head of tourism intelligence at Riskline, said, "67 countries in the world still criminalize same-sex relations, so corporate travel policy must reflect this reality." She added that the risks can be legal, cultural, and sometimes physical, and recommended that organizations adopt "dynamic risk management" that changes by destination and by traveler identity.
