Welcome With Pride: Making belonging the standard in tourism

When Charlie (Charles) Douty thinks about why he founded Welcome With Pride, he remembers a simple but powerful moment: walking into a hotel lobby and stopping himself from holding his husband’s hand.

“That feeling, of constantly second-guessing whether it’s safe to express yourself, or your love for your partner, and needing to edit yourself, is something the majority of LGBTIQ+ people experience,” he says. “Some places felt genuinely welcoming, but others really did not.

“That contrast stayed with me. Holidays should be about freedom, joy, expression and belonging, not about hiding who you are.”

From strategy to social change

Before starting Welcome With Pride (WWP), Charlie worked as a strategy consultant. But his lived experience of travelling across Australia during COVID, coupled with original research commissioned by the program, inspired him to pivot.

Insights from the research

The Welcome With Pride LGBTIQ+ Traveller Survey gathered responses from more than 1000 travellers and revealed sobering insights. Sixty percent said they hide their sexuality or gender while on holiday in Australia, often avoiding holding hands, checking in separately, mentioning their partner, using their preferred pronouns or dressing naturally. Eighty percent said rainbow flags marketing is tokenistic, and does not provide a genuine commitment to inclusivity, with many calling this “pink-washing.”

In response, Charlie launched WWP, Australia’s leading LGBTIQ+ inclusive tourism training and accreditation program. It equips businesses with e-learning, to empower staff to provide consistently inclusive guest experiences and build a culture of belonging; as welll as an accreditation pathway to prove a genuine, authentic commitment to LBTIQ+ inclusivity. The aim is to give both staff and guests the confidence to be their authentic selves, every time.

Training and accreditation in practice

Launched in February 2025, the program has already trained more than 1000 businesses, with over 50 joining the accreditation program in its first months.

The West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton, was the first hotel in Australia to receive WWP accreditation for its inclusive practices. According to the hotel, this recognition reflects a commitment that goes far beyond symbolic gestures. The team implemented comprehensive training, updated facilities, and actively supported local LGBTIQ+ initiatives, setting a benchmark for others in the industry.

The training itself blends 45-minute e-learning modules with an independent accreditation process. It is tailored to tourism, covering inclusive language, pronouns, and practical real-life scenarios. Accreditation is progressive, with two levels, and must be renewed every three years to maintain standards.

A trans team member who completed the training shared:

“This training has made a difference to how I show up at work. It gave me reassurance on how I look, act and speak as a person to those around me and made me feel more comfortable in my own skin.”

Why inclusivity matters

The business case is as strong as the human case. LGBTIQ+ travellers are forecast to spend $USD600b by 2030 due to an average spend 3-7x more than other guests. 

Research shows 96 percent of LGBTIQ+ travellers prefer to book accredited experiences, and 45 percent would pay more for them. Staff training is critical, with 88 percent saying inclusive language is essential for a welcoming experience.

Accor reported an 11.4 percent uplift in staff engagement scores after rolling out the training. Jai McNaughton, Director of Talent & Culture at Novotel Perth Murray Street, says the change was immediate:

“I can’t speak highly enough of this program. It’s simple, seamless, and aligns perfectly with our Heartist values of creating spaces where our team and guests can be their authentic selves. The content really lands, it’s sparked genuine conversations, and the team were proud to be doing it. In fact, our pulse survey engagement score jumped 11.4 percent which I put largely down to this training.”

Hilton’s Regional HR Director for Australasia Mary Hogg highlights its impact:

“The Welcome With Pride e-learning ensures that our team members consistently deliver a warm welcome for LGBTIQ+ guests every time. Welcome With Pride helps us stay at the forefront of what guests are expecting from us by standardising our training and LGBTIQ+ inclusion practices across our Hilton brand.”

At Hilton’s West Hotel, General Manager Nathan Kengike describes the program as transformative:

“The training scenarios gave the team the chance to practice what they learned in real settings. The accreditation creates assurance for LGBTQ travellers, builds confidence in our team, and builds trust with our guests. It is a one-stop-shop for building inclusivity.”

Moving beyond token gestures

Charlie is clear-eyed about the pitfalls of relying on symbols alone. “Symbols are a good start, but they are not enough. Without policies, training, and behaviour to back them up, they can feel hollow. Accreditation provides a roadmap and third-party verification so guests know your commitment is real and backed by action.”

The program also provides practical support for businesses (templates, guidelines, and coaching) alongside marketing tools such as logos, stickers, and directory listings to help them demonstrate inclusivity authentically and meaningfully.

The bigger picture

For Charlie, success is not measured only in statistics but in lived experiences. “On the hardest days, what keeps me motivated is hearing from staff who feel safer at work or from guests who say they finally relaxed enough to hold hands by the pool. That feeling of belonging and connection is incredibly powerful. That is what this is all about.”

Call to action

For businesses, the message is clear: inclusivity is not optional. It is essential for improved guest experiences, earning the loyalty of LGBTIQ+ guests, and building a team culture of authenticity and belonging. Enrolling staff in Welcome With Pride training is an investment in people and reputation, and the first step toward accreditation.

Importantly, staff do not need to wait for their workplace. Anyone can enrol individually and begin creating change today.

Charlie puts it best: “This is about proactively building a world where everyone can show up exactly as they are and know they belong. That’s the kind of tourism we should all be striving for.”

Learn more about WWP enrollment HERE

AccomNews is getting ready to spotlight more industry innovators like Charlie Douty at NoVacancy 2025.

Join us for our “Meet the Editor” live sessions at the NoVacancy 2025 Expo in Sydney. I will be sitting down for relaxed, one-on-one chats with industry leaders, operators, suppliers, and innovators.

Basically, anyone with a great story to tell!

📧 Book a spot via the NoVacancy app.

Welcome with Pride’s Charlie Douty will be a Speaker at NoVacancy 2025