A pioneering Tasmanian tourism inclusion program has been updated and expanded to become a new national accreditation program for tourism businesses across Australia.
Rainbow Ready Accreditation builds on the Rainbow Tasmania Tourism Accreditation program established by the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania (TICT) in 2013. Developed in consultation with Rainbow Communities Tasmania and the Coming Out Proud Program Community Liaison Committee, the original program was the first tourism accreditation of its kind in Australia.
More than a decade on, the program has evolved to reflect contemporary understanding, inclusive practice, and the changing needs of LGBTQIA+ communities and visitors. The national Rainbow Ready Accreditation recognises tourism businesses committed to creating safe, welcoming and inclusive experiences for people of diverse genders and sexualities. Businesses are assessed across areas including policies and compliance, operational practices, physical environment and marketing, guest information, and staff development and preparedness.
“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.”
Booking.com’s 2024 Travel Proud research found more than four in ten LGBTQIA+ travellers had cancelled a trip in the previous year after seeing a destination fail to support LGBTQIA+ people, while almost three-quarters said a more inclusive tourism industry made them feel more comfortable travelling.
Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome said the program reflects Tasmania’s broader transformation.
“Within a generation Tasmania has gone from the last state to decriminalise homosexuality to a place with some of the best LGBTQIA+ laws in the world, and our tourism industry helped lead that change,” Mr Croome said.
“After the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1997, Tourism Tasmania and the Tourism Industry Council rose to the challenge of turning our reputation around, a task they achieved with Tasmania now leading the nation as a same-sex wedding destination.”
“A major part of Tasmania’s turn-around as an LGBTIQA+ visitor destination was ensuring our tourism providers had access to the Rainbow Tasmania Tourism Accreditation program, which has now provided a foundation for the national initiative.
“The evolution of the Tasmanian program to the national level not only says to all holiday-makers that they can be themselves with confidence anywhere in Australia, it is also an example of a Tasmanian success story.”
The national program was developed with Dr Faith Ong of The University of Queensland, Associate Professor Clifford Lewis of Charles Sturt University and Dr Luke Greenacre of Monash University, building on the Tasmanian program and informed by industry, community, and academic expertise.
Its national rollout forms part of the Australian Government-supported enhancement of the Quality Tourism Framework, administered nationally by the Australian Tourism Industry Council and delivered in Tasmania by TICT.
Rainbow Ready Accreditation is available through the Quality Tourism Framework and is free to complete for businesses holding Sustainable Tourism Accreditation.
