Deserts are strange places. Beautiful, but brutal. They remind you that life here takes effort, and that visibility comes at a cost. For many queer travellers, the world can still feel like that: vast, harsh, and not always safe to cross. That’s what makes the 2025 IGLTA Global Convention in Palm Springs, California, so powerful. It wasn’t just a gathering; it was proof that even in the driest places, something extraordinary can bloom.
Visibility takes courage – even the desert knows that
A Harsh Landscape, A Shared Passion
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) is the world’s leading network dedicated to advancing queer travel and inclusivity. Each year, it gathers voices from across the globe, such as travel brands, advocates, and industry leaders, in a new host city to ask a deceptively simple question: How can we make travel truly safe for everyone?
This year, that question echoed against the mountains of Palm Springs, a city that feels both nostalgic and defiant, an oasis for those who’ve spent lifetimes carving space for themselves in the sand. Representing Rhino Africa were David Ryan (Founder and CEO), Dawid Minnie (Executive Assistant), and Barry Langenhoven (Sales Manager).
“Because the world feels heavy again, and visibility without purpose is vanity.” – David Ryan.
Carrying Africa’s brightness into Palm Springs, Image Credit: Dawid Minnie
Cracks in the Sand
Palm Springs might be drenched in sunshine, but beneath the glow lies grit – the kind that comes from decades of protest, resilience, and reinvention. This year’s convention drew over 760 attendees, the largest in IGLTA’s history. And while the atmosphere was celebratory, the conversations were anything but superficial.
“It’s evolved from pride parade to parliament. The conversations are harder now, less ‘kumbaya’, more ‘what are you doing?’ But that edge is what gives it power.” – David Ryan.
Where tough conversations rise higher than the desert peaks, Image Credit: IGLTA
As David put it, there was an undertone of fatigue from slogans, token gestures, and rainbow-washing. The global travel industry is realising that inclusivity isn’t something you market; it’s something you measure.
“The industry is waking up to the fact that ‘inclusive’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘impactful.’ For Rhino Africa, it reaffirmed that our future is about purpose over posture.” – David Ryan.
His reflections grounded the week, a reminder that progress in the travel world, like the desert’s rare rain, arrives slowly and changes everything when it does.
Real change, like sunrise, starts quietly but transforms everything
An Oasis of Hope
And then came the laughter. The colour. The shimmer. If David was the philosopher of the week, Dawid was the heartbeat. His description of Palm Springs could make you see it: the way light bounces off mirrored sunglasses, the buzz of conversation under palm trees, the hum of community thriving in the heat.
“Palm Springs itself was the perfect backdrop – a dreamy town surrounded by mountains, dotted with palm trees, and bursting with mid-century modern charm.” – Dawid Minnie.
Where change sparks beneath sun, palms, and open skies
For Dawid, this convention wasn’t about escape. Instead, it was about belonging.
“The city even raised the LGBTQ+ flag in the heart of Palm Springs, a beautiful and emotional moment that summed up the spirit of the week.” – Dawid Minnie.
The highlight? The Voyage Fundraiser at Leonardo DiCaprio’s mid-century modern mansion, complete with drag queens, live bands, and synchronised swimmers under desert stars. Activism, it turned out, could also sparkle.
Each conversation, each smile, felt like an oasis – proof that connection, once rare and cautious, now flows more freely than ever.
Belonging, laughter, and pride – all in perfect sync, Image Credit: Dawid Minnie
New Shoots, New Perspectives
For Barry, attending IGLTA for the first time was like watching a landscape transform before his eyes. What began as nerves and uncertainty quickly turned to gratitude and awe.
“It was eye-opening how many in the community fear travelling, not knowing whether they’ll be safe or accepted. It made me proud of how progressive South Africa’s constitution is.” – Barry Langenhoven.
Seeing the world differently, that’s where change begins, Image Credit: Barry Langenhoven
The convention’s theme of inclusivity hit home: safety isn’t guaranteed everywhere, but solidarity can shift the terrain. Barry’s experience reflected that shift: the dry humour, laughter, and sense of being part of something fertile.
“Being part of this convention made me realise that I’m part of something much bigger than booking people on safari. We’re literally paving the way for generations to come.” – Barry Langenhoven.
It wasn’t just his first IGLTA. It was his first taste of a global community that thrives through a shared vision. Proof that the seeds planted in solidarity eventually burst into change.
Solidarity turns discussion into action, and action into change, Image Credit: IGLTA
When the Desert Blossoms
By the end of the week, the tone had changed. The convention began in heat – fierce, relentless – but ended in warmth. Under the same sun that had baked the city all week, people left renewed. Laughter and resolve coexisted.
“We’re part of the conscience of this movement now. Travel is either protection or exploitation; there’s no neutral.” – David Ryan.
When the future of IGLTA travel shines bright, Image Credit: Barry Langenhoven
Palm Springs became more than a location; it became a metaphor. A reminder that queer joy is not frivolous, it’s revolutionary. It’s what happens when people gather in the heat and choose to grow anyway.
Because in the end, that’s what IGLTA 2025 was all about: resilience taking root, purpose taking shape, and pride finding a way to flourish, even in the desert.
Mapping where pride takes root, Image Credit: IGLTA
See the World Differently
And if you’re ready to see the world through that same lens of connection, inclusivity, and purpose – let us craft your journey. After all, the best adventures don’t just show you the world. They help it grow.
