That was the message from a panel of agents and marketing consultants speaking at TTG’s Fairer Travel Event last week. 

Highlighting the shift away from performative marketing, speakers warned that consumers can now spot "rainbow washing" from a mile away. 

Megan O’Leary, a Travel Counsellor and TTG LGBT+ Ambassador, argued that true authenticity means having the conviction to stand up to backlash.

"You’ve got to be willing to be outspoken," O’Leary told attendees. "You’ve got to be willing to lose customers that don’t align with your values, and only then will you come across as authentic."

It came as the panel discussed shifting trends around Pride Month, as a number of brands across different industries seemed to shy away from using the rainbow flag in June.

The panel noted some companies were fearful of public backlash, which O’Leary said signalled a positive move toward accountability. 

"You’re not going to get away with rainbow washing anymore," she said, as she praised Travel Counsellors' shift towards a "quiet elegance" in their year-round diversity and inclusion marketing, focusing on providing marketing assets to fellow Travel Counsellors to mark days such as Transgender Day of Visibility and Global Accessibility Awareness Day, rather than just turning their logo rainbow for a month.

Elsewhere the panel stressed that any successful DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) strategy must start on the shop floor.

Alex Liste, PR Director of Nature at Lemongrass Marketing, outlined a three-tier structure for brands: internal culture, guest experience on the ground, and finally, communications.

"If you go for the communications side first, you’re always going to set yourself up to fail," she warned. "It’s the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t have the solid foundation, the training, the policies, and your staff don’t really believe what you’re doing, then no form of marketing is going to work."

Liste also urged managers not to treat minority staff as "free labour" for DEI initiatives. "Lived experience is an incredibly valuable resource, but it shouldn't fall to one person to keep updated. Have that be a company-wide thing."

Meanwhile Andrew Kyte, a full-time retail travel advisor and DEI Ambassador Lead for Tui, shared his personal experience of how a genuinely inclusive workspace can transform staff confidence.

"I first came out in January 2022 when I joined Tui," he revealed. "I actually came out because my manager and my fellow travel advisor were both openly out as well, and that made me feel so comfortable... I hid myself before this."

Kyte, who champions DEI initiatives across 25 Tui stores in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, highlighted how visibility directly drives sales. He noted that multiple frontline agents in his region reported clients specifically booking holidays with them because they were wearing Pride pin badges on their uniforms.

"Visibility is important," Kyte said, adding that senior leadership allyship – such as straight, white directors using pronouns in email signatures or sponsoring resource groups – can speak volumes to both staff and consumers.

The panel concluded with a call for the travel industry to move past lazy marketing tropes which assume LGBT+ people are one homogenous group. "There's not one LGBT+ traveller,” pointed out Liste. “Are you talking families? Are you talking couples, disabled travellers, luxury travellers? If you are going to put a rainbow on [your brand] and then immediately stop talking about it or stop using the right imagery, then it’s better not to use the rainbow at all."

Liste also noted agents need to ask the right, practical questions during the booking stage to avoid awkwardness for underrepresented groups, such as asking for specific room configuration preferences rather than assuming two women traveling together require twin beds.

For agency owners still hesitant to embrace these changes, Liste pointed directly to the bottom line: "There are so many studies to show the financial benefits of a team that feels safe. Look at the amount of money in these underrepresented groups – travel brands that aren't catering to them are simply missing out on a big chunk of business."