Puglia: Italy’s Top Gay Destination One More Time

Puglia retains title as Italy’s 2022 top gay summer destination for LGBTQIA+ visitors, ahead of Tuscany and Sicily.

The heel of Italy’s boot and long time favorite Italian summer destination is once again confirmed as Italy’s top gay summer hotspot.

For the second successive year Gallipoli was crowned Queen of the Italian gay summer scene and voted Italy’s most loved LGBTQ+ friendly destination. Punta della Suina took the title of Italy’s best LGBTQ+ beach.

Italy’s top gay-friendly destinations

As for Italy’s top gay summer destinations, Gallipoli (28%) Torre del Lago (25%) and Milan (8%) remain in the lead. Noto (5%) loses several points compared to last year. Making its first appearance is Rimini (5%). 

Among the most popular of Italy’s gay beaches, the result follows the general trend. Puglia’s Punta della Suina in Gallipoli takes first place (30%), ahead of Lecciona in Torre del Lago (27%). A new entry in 3rd place, Community 27 in Rimini (20% ) pushes our personal favorite gay beach, Puglia’s Campomarino di Maruggio‘s D’Ayala beach, out of the top 5.

Main results: Gay-friendly Summer 2022

Destinations and travel preferences of the Italian LGBTQ+ community, according to the 2022 GaylyPlanet poll:

• 63% of respondents will travel to Italy, only 21% will go outside Europe
• 45% of people will travel between July and August, but trips increase in September, the month chosen by 40% of respondents
• LGBTQ+ travelers prefer a stay in B&Bs and apartments (65%) and hotels (57%). The least chosen options are cruises (12%), hostels (15%) and farmhouses (15%) – (Multiple responses)
• Among the preferred types of travel are travel in and in groups (48%), travel during LGBTQ+ events (42%), travel as a couple (40%), travel on the road (30%). The least popular are trips to amusement parks (15%) and cruises (16%)
• Most visited regions in summer : Puglia (14%), Tuscany (13%), Sicily (12%), Emilia-Romagna (10%) and Sardinia (9%)

More LGBTQ+ friendly destinations in Italy: summer 2022 destinations

These are Italy’s most popular destinations in Italy and the most loved gay friendly beaches. The poll also rank’s Italian regions perceived as more LGBTQ friendly.

Italian region perceived as more LGBTQ+ friendly

The first placed region in Italy perceived as LGBTQ+ friendly is Lombardy, thanks to Milan a city much loved by the Italian community. In second place is Emilia-Romagna followed by Tuscany.

1. Lombardy (28%)
2. Emilia-Romagna (25%)
3. Tuscany (13%)
4. Lazio (10%)
5. Puglia (7%)

Most loved LGBTQ+ friendly destination in Italy

As always, the first two places go to the queens of Italian gay summer: Gallipoli and Torre del Lago, which gains a few points compared to last year. Next is Milan and then, making a grand entrance, Rimini, a city that is working hard on inclusiveness. In fifth place, losing many points compared to last year, is Noto.

1. Gallipoli (28%)
2. Torre del Lago (25%)
3. Milan (8%)
4. Rimini (5%)
5. Noto (5%)
6. Rome (4%)
7. Bologna (3%)
8. Naples (2%)
9. Riccione (2%)
10. Palermo (1%)

Best LGBTQ+ friendly beaches in Italy

Among the most popular LGBTQ+ beaches in Italy, Punta della Suina in Gallipoli and La Lecciona in Torre del Lago are confirmed, while La Community 27 beach in Rimini, known as the rainbow beach, enters for the first time. This lido has become a safe place for the entire Italian LGBTQ+ community who immediately loved it, as can be seen from the survey.

1. Punta della Suina in Gallipoli (30%)
2. The Lecciona in Torre del Lago (27%)
3. Community 27 in Rimini (20%)
4. Lido di Dante in Ravenna (2%)
5. Riccione (2%)
6. Capocotta in Ostia (1%)