Grindr reveals its top destinations for gay travelers – and the best cities for “right now” action
Paris, Berlin and Rio de Janeiro are among the most popular destinations for queer fun seekers.
Mark
Global queer social media platform Grindr has released data relating to the travel habits of some of its users. The news coincides with season 3 of its travel show, appropriately titled Host or Travel (available on YouTube).
The top five cities when it comes to people registered as ‘travelling’ are as follows.
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The cities where users send the most messages are Taipei, followed by Milan and Athens.
Last year, Grindr rolled out its ‘Right Now’ feature. It allows users to indicate they’re looking for instant action. Use of the ‘Right Now’ feature is highest in Taiwan, the Philippines, Lima, Buenos Aires, and Medellín.
Lastly, there are some countries where users swap a high volume of messages with those in other countries. Coming out on top was Luxembourg. This makes sense given that it’s comparatively small and has a population of just 700,000. It’s no wonder the queer community looks beyond the country’s borders for connection.
Luxembourg was followed by Japan and Switzerland.
“Finding your people in a new city isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s crucial”
“Host or Travel was created from the understanding that for gay travelers, finding your people in a new city isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s crucial,” said Tristan Pineiro, CMO, Grindr, in a press statement.
“The gay community finds strength in numbers, and we built this series to celebrate that. Our users aren’t just looking for dates, they’re using Grindr to curate their own global adventures, find safe spaces, and experience the world through the eyes of locals who get it. That’s the gayborhood in action.”
Check out a trailer for ‘Host or Travel’ below. Season 3 will shine a spotlight on Austin, Sydney, Puerto Vallarta, Paris, Manila, Lisbon and Miami.
How dating apps impact our activity while traveling
Love it or loathe it, Grindr has impacted what many guys do on vacation.
Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Surrey in England published a study on this very topic in the Annals of Tourism Research.
The study’s main takeaways were as follows.
- Gay couples are more likely to seek a a third whilst on holiday because there’s less risk of emotional entanglement or ties, compared to the risk of a ménage à trois with someone back home.
- Some ‘monogamish’ couples (monogamous in their day-to-day lives at home but more open to experimenting when abroad) treat extra-curricular sex with a third as a holiday ‘treat’. Having group fun privately on vacation also spares them the risk of others judging them at home.
- Sex on vacation is often far more instantaneous than at home. There’s no time for protracted chit-chat on an app.
- Grindr use is not just for sex but for “authentic intimacies” and connections, which can lead to lasting friendships or friends-with-benefits.
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