Beyond the Rainbow: The Most Unusual Cities LGBTQ+ Travelers Are Flocking to in 2025

June 24 2025

by Marc Dedonder

What do Tacoma (Washington), Salt Lake City (Utah), and Hamilton (Canada) have in common? Nope, they’re not launching Real Housewives of Tacoma - they’re three of the most unusual (and fastest-growing) destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers this year.

That’s right: according to brand-new post-PRIDE data from misterb&b, LGBTQ+ travelers are slowly leaving legacy Pride capitals like San Francisco and Berlin in favor of off-the-radar gems that you would never think of as rainbow destinations. 

In our Next Gen Gay Cities Ranking, data analysts at misterb&b dug into millions of web clicks during the lead-up to Pride 2025. The result? A wildly unexpected travel map for the next few years, led by cities that prove you don’t need a gayborhood to feel at home. (You just need an app like weere)

#1 -  Tacoma, Washington. This pnw stunner saw a mind-blowing 755% increase in LGBTQ+ travel interest year-over-year. With its affordable rents, thriving arts scene, and unapologetically queer community energy, Tacoma has officially gone from “Wait is that a toyota truck?” to “Let’s book it for PRIDE season!”

#2 - Also turning heads Salt Lake City, which defies its red-state reputation to land in the top five. Its blend of breathtaking nature and a blossoming underground LGBTQ+ scene is drawing travelers who crave authenticity over nightlife. It’s also sort of close to Park City and those cool Sundance vibes. 

#3 - And while everyone’s eyes are usually on Toronto, Hamilton, Canada quietly became one of the fastest-growing Pride cities of the year. Talk about an underdog glow-up. It’s gone from “Steeltown” city because of its industrial roots, but thanks to LGBTQ friendly cafes and breweries, it’s quietly become Toronoto’s more affordable cousin.  

Internationally, some of the most unusual entries came from places like Leipzig, Valletta, and Toulouse, cities with big heart, rich culture, and a refreshing lack of pretense. Even China and Argentina saw unexpected spikes in queer travel interest, despite this year’s political headwinds.

Here are the rest of the growing cities. 

Most Unusual LGBTQ+ Cities For 2025:

Orlando

Salt Lake City

Provincetown

Barcelona

Mexico City

San Juan

Montreal

Berlin

Tacoma

Baltimore

Phoenix

Paris

Charlotte

New Orleans

Albuquerque

Santa Ana

Rome

Los Angeles

Fort Lauderdale

Key West

Oakland

The post-PRIDE takeaway?

What we see in our data is we think LGBTQ+ travelers are starting to skip legacy party towns for smaller, more intentional destinations; places where they can connect with community, culture, and yes, even romance.

That’s why we created weere, misterb&b’s new feature that helps lgbtq+ travelers find local events, safe spaces, and LGBTQ+ friends and dates - before and during their trip.

As founder Matthieu Jost says, “We built this platform so no one has to travel alone, or hide who they are.”

In 2025, the queer travel revolution is real, and it’s happening in the most unusual places.

Loved this? Check out our index of The Safest LGBTQ+ Cities in the US.