Shoppers of experience and corporate travel managers are poring over Riskline’s 2026 LGBTQ Risk Map, which flags 91 high-risk and 62 medium-risk destinations and warns that rights roll-backs are reshaping travel safety; here’s what that means for holidaymakers, work trips and duty-of-care policies.

Essential Takeaways

  • Scope of risk: Riskline identifies 91 high-risk and 62 medium-risk destinations for LGBTQ travellers, using legal, cultural and on-the-ground data.
  • Rights roll-backs are spreading: New criminalisation and stricter documentation have been reported in places including parts of the US, Japan and several eastern European, Central Asian and North African countries.
  • Southern Africa shows progress: Botswana recently removed Penal Code provisions that criminalised same-sex relations, offering a rare legal advance in the region.
  • Duty-of-care gap: Many corporate travel policies don’t reflect the fact that 67 countries still criminalise same-sex relations, leaving queer employees exposed.
  • Practical alerts exist: Riskline pairs the map with real-time Alerts and destination guidance to help organisations and travellers adapt quickly.

Why this map matters now: rights are not guaranteed abroad

Riskline’s latest map isn’t a general travel advisory , it’s a focused intelligence product linking legal frameworks, social attitudes and NGO reports to create a granular safety picture. That means when you see a high-risk flag, it’s based on more than a headline; it’s a mix of laws, how they’re enforced and what people on the ground are experiencing.

The urgency comes from change: places that felt safe a few years ago can become risky fast. For travellers, that’s disorientating; for employers, it’s a compliance problem. So if you’re planning a trip, don’t assume past experience still applies , check up-to-date intelligence.

What’s changed since last year: roll-backs and new rules

Riskline and media coverage note a worrying trend of rights roll-backs in a range of jurisdictions, including parts of the US and Japan as well as countries in eastern Europe, Central Asia and North Africa. Changes include criminalisation, tougher ID/documentation rules and increased police powers.

Those legal shifts don’t affect everyone the same way. Enforcement varies, social attitudes vary, and practical barriers like passport name/gender requirements can create travel disruptions even where prosecutions are rare. For anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, those details matter more than broad country ratings.

Duty of care: where policies fall short , and how to fix them

The map highlights a stark reality: many corporate travel policies haven’t caught up with global legal diversity. With 67 countries still criminalising same-sex relations, employers that rely on one-size-fits-all travel rules are leaving staff exposed legally and emotionally.

Effective duty of care should be intelligence-led and personalised. That means pre-trip briefings tailored to who is travelling, flexible approval processes for risky destinations, and ready support for altered travel plans. Organisations should subscribe to Alerts and update policies as laws change.

Practical tips for LGBTQ travellers and managers

If you’re travelling, start with practical checks: look up current destination guidance, check passport and visa documentation rules, and think about how you travel and present in public. Consider alternative routes or virtual attendance for work trips to higher-risk areas.

Managers should map employee risk profiles, offer confidential booking routes and ensure emergency assistance is accessible. Subscribe to real-time Alerts and integrate that output into traveller sign-off workflows so decisions reflect live conditions, not last year’s assumptions.

Small wins: where legal progress is happening

Not all news is negative. Southern Africa has seen positive legal movement , for example, Botswana has removed Penal Code provisions that criminalised same-sex relations, removing the possibility of jail sentences for same-sex activity. Those shifts show progress is possible and that advocacy combined with legal scrutiny can change the travel landscape.

It’s a reminder that the map is dynamic: today’s high-risk spot could improve, and watching those trends helps travellers plan safer, smarter trips.

It's a small change that can make every trip safer.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: