Visiting Urdaibai should be a unique and unforgettable experience for everyone. In Izkira Urdaibai we want everyone to enjoy and feel part of this natural paradise for a while. A place that enriches and transforms us. But today, we believe that we still need to reinforce our commitment to cultural, sexual and functional diversity. For Urdaibai to grow and develop with the presence, diversity and creativity of all types of public, without losing its identity and preserving its heritage.

Our offer: inclusive and sustainable tourism

In Izkira our objective is that all of Urdaibai becomes an area with a wide range of LGTBIQ+ friendly’ tourism offer. Inclusive, accessible, sustainable and open to all people. We are and we are. And we are not looking for market share and medals for pinkwashing. We have always offered a different way to enjoy tourism in Bizkaia. Different as Urdaibai: natural, without discrimination or barriers and inclusive, but taking care of the jewel that is our natural environment, the Biosphere Reserve. We want this spirit to spread as much as possible among the tourist offer of the area.

For this reason, and knowing that LGTBIQ+ people also want to enjoy all kinds of options and proposals in their leisure, our ship offers special experiences for this group. Our tourist routes have always been – and continue to be – for everyone, everyone and everyone. But now we also have LGTBIQ+ routes to proudly celebrate that Urdaibai is a queer allied destination. And those who wish to experience it with a special route designed and tailor-made for them, can also do so.

Queer Destination and Bizkaia LGTBI Travel Allies Stamp

Being an inclusive and friendly destination for the LGTBIQ+ community is something we have been working on for quite some time in Izkira Urdaibai. Not only because it is an ethical and socially responsible act, but because we firmly believe that everyone should be able to enjoy this paradise in a safe and inclusive way. For example, in 2023, we achieved our international seal of approval.
Queer Destinations Committed (IGLTA)
after completing its ‘Hospitality Meets Equality’ educational
‘Hospitality Meets Equality’.
(Tourism Meets Equality). In it, companies can learn everything we need to know about the LGTBIQ+ community, their consumer habits and how to make them feel at home when they come to visit us. The program also offers statistics on queer tourism, case studies and interviews.

This seal of quality and guarantee identifies Izkira Urdaibai as LGTBIQ+ friendly, ideal in Bizkaia tourism for those seeking personalized and unique experiences without discrimination. It guarantees our commitment to respectful and equal treatment for all our customers, employees and collaborators, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender expression and identity. Of course, the seal also certifies that in Izkira there is no room for any kind of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, mockery, threat or any other attitude that involves physical or emotional violence to LGTBIQ+ people.

We are also adhered to the seal
Bilbao-Bizkaia LGTBI Travel Allies
and we are part of the Partnership for Global LGTBIQ+-Equality .

At Izkira Urdaibai we believe that discriminating against people for any aspect of their lives is reprehensible and unethical behavior. But it is also a symptom of a lack of education, acceptance of stereotypes and limited exposure to the enormous diversity that the world in which we live offers us. In some past eras and some environments, our way of socializing reinforced discriminatory attitudes towards certain groups. But at this stage of our evolution, discriminating against the LGTBIQ+ collective only indicates fear of what is different, lack of empathy and resistance to change. Those of us who live permanently in contact with nature understand this clearly and we want Urdaibai to also reflect socially that natural diversity that gives us so much.

The natural diversity we see in Urdaibai inspires us to promote inclusive and queer-friendly tourism. Because not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also good for the businesses and companies in the area. But not only economically (we already know that LGTBIQ+ tourism spends more than the rest), but also in terms of reputation (consumers demand it from us), creativity, labor availability and innovation. We firmly believe that our county and our region will grow more by being more inclusive. Inclusion is not only the right thing to do from a human point of view, but it is also the best strategy for the growth of Urdaibai.

No one can deny that LGTBIQ+ tourism has experienced tremendous growth worldwide. Many destinations around the globe have worked and continue to work to position themselves as friendly and welcoming locations for the LGTBIQ+ community. Cities as attractive as Berlin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin or Barcelona are famous for their hospitality towards the queer community. Undoubtedly, this attracts tourists seeking to travel to destinations that are friendly and offer inclusive and safe experiences for all people.

In the case of Spain, LGTBIQ+ Pride celebrations in Madrid and other cities have become major attraction events. Visitors from all over the world come to enjoy this huge celebration that gathers thousands and thousands of people in its central parade. The Biscayan capital and some towns such as Lekeitio, Plentzia, Santurtzi or Mundaka have also taken steps to encourage LGTBIQ+ tourism with celebrations of this type. Platforms, programs, activities and proposals have been created around the pride festival to celebrate diversity and freedom. Urdaibai should not be left behind in this regard.

Logically, legislation and an open, modern and tolerant population have also contributed to making Bizkaia a welcoming place for tourists from this group. But we cannot forget that in many parts of the world sexual freedom is not a right for everyone. And unfortunately close to home we also sometimes see aggressions or undermining of LGTBIQ+ people’s rights. Therefore, we must not forget that there is still a long way to go and we must continue to promote tourism, business and leisure initiatives that attract the queer community. To achieve a common benefit and to change our society and our tourism for the better.