The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) today announced that it has become a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), the world's leading network of LGBTQ+ welcoming tourism businesses, as part of strengthening SFO’s commitment to diversity and to promote San Francisco as a travel, tourism and business destination to the LGBTQ+ community around the world.
“We are thrilled to join the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, and promote SFO as the gateway of choice for LGBTQ+ travelers from around the world,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “For many people, SFO is their first impression of the San Francisco Bay Area, and our goal is to represent the diversity and welcoming environment that makes our region great.”
“The city of San Francisco has always placed great emphasis on making LGBTQ+ visitors feel safe and welcome and ensuring its suppliers are equality-minded,” said IGLTA President & CEO John Tanzella. “That warm greeting extends all the way to the runways of SFO. We are proud to have the airport that serves as the primary flight gateway into the Bay Area as an IGLTA member.”
IGLTA members have the ability to reach the growing number of LGBTQ+ travel, tourism and business members in its worldwide network in over 80 countries.
On July 23, 2019, SFO will open Harvey Milk Terminal 1, the first airport facility in the world named after an LGBTQ+ leader. The first phase will open a new 9-gate boarding area, including a museum exhibit titled: Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope, featuring crowd-sourced images in combination with those of other photographers and items from archival collections at the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the GLBT Historical Society. Subsequent phases will add exterior terminal facade signage, a dedication plaque, and a publicly-accessible inglenook honoring the life and legacy of Harvey Milk.
