Alex Bernardes celebrates the success of the LGBT+ Tourism Expo in São Paulo

The event, conceived by Alex Bernardes, founder and president of Expo, is a combination of several ideas and references accumulated throughout his career in LGBT+ tourism since 2008. In an exclusive interview, Bernardes shared his vision and the objectives behind the creation of Expo.

"The Expo was born from a combination of several ideas and references. I have worked with LGBT tourism since 2008 and have participated in many international lectures, in addition to visiting several fairs and events in the segment in Argentina, Europe and the United States. I always thought that Brazil had the potential to have a similar event, bringing together products and travel agents interested in this market", explains Bernardes.

The first edition of the Expo took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2021, followed by another successful one in 2022. However, Bernardes felt the need to expand to São Paulo, recognizing the city as the largest source market for LGBT tourists and a crucial hub for travel agents. "This is the first edition of the event in São Paulo and we are very happy with the result," he says.

Bernardes emphasizes that safety is the main concern for LGBT+ tourists when choosing a destination or product. "They want the guarantee that they will be well received, well treated and that it will be safe for them to be in that environment. All the exhibitors present are destinations, hotels, products and services that are references in this area, both in Brazil and abroad."

The Expo's program included carefully selected lectures, addressing relevant topics such as LGBT+ tourism and spirituality, convergence with luxury and the new generation of LGBT+ tourists. "We want to understand whether the Brazilian market is prepared to welcome this new generation that has grown up out of the closet and performs outside of traditional standards", highlights Bernardes. In addition, there were panels to teach travel agents and operators how to put together packages and define specific itineraries for this segment.

The LGBT+ Tourism Expo attracted exhibitors from around the world, including Japan, Europe, the United States and Latin America. Bernardes stressed the importance of rigorous curation when choosing exhibitors. "It's not enough to just pay to be here to exhibit. The destination or product needs to be committed to our segment, welcoming LGBT+ tourists. Before accepting any exhibitor, we conduct research to understand how they work on the topic and whether they have a concrete commitment."

Regarding the future of LGBT+ tourism, Bernardes sees a promising path. "Our goal is to transform the tourism industry into a more inclusive, diverse and open industry to diversity. Compared to ten years ago, we have come a long way. Brazil is one of the countries with the largest number of advanced laws and projects for this segment. Little by little, we are raising awareness in the tourism sector and getting closer to the ideal world we seek."

The event had 64 exhibitors and 8 co-exhibitors from Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to 930 registrants, highlighting the growing interest and relevance of LGBT+ tourism on the national scene.

Report and photo: Mary de Aquino.