🚀 LGTBQ+ travel to the US declines

Market Overview
Read time 1.4 minutes

Year To Date Performances:

1. International LGBTQ+ travel to the U.S. is taking a hit, with Canadian bookings on queer-friendly platform misterb&b down 66% and European bookings down 32% year-over-year, as travellers shift their spending toward destinations they view as safer and more inclusive. The trend reflects growing discomfort with President Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies—like his executive orders limiting transgender rights—and economic tensions like tariffs that have fueled patriotic spending at home. Countries including Canada and Germany have issued advisories, and groups like Egale Canada are boycotting U.S. events entirely. While U.S. Pride celebrations saw strong local turnout, global LGBTQ+ tourism is increasingly turning inward or toward friendlier markets, potentially costing the U.S. billions in spending from a demographic known for high travel budgets.

2. Apple’s first true box office hit, F1, marked a clear win for its services business, but Wall Street remains uneasy about the company’s lagging AI efforts. While F1 demonstrated Apple’s power to execute long-term cultural plays and dominate Hollywood with the help of stars like Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton, its AI announcements at WWDC fell flat, offering little progress on key features like a more intelligent Siri. With rivals like Google and Meta racing ahead in generative AI and hoarding top talent, Apple’s apparent hesitation to acquire external models or sign big-name engineers is starting to look like a liability. Analysts worry that if Apple doesn’t accelerate its AI roadmap soon, it risks falling behind in both investor confidence and consumer appeal, especially as reports suggest it may need to outsource core AI tech, a potential reversal of its longstanding strategy to build everything in-house.

3. With just days before President Trump’s 90-day tariff pause expires on July 9, pressure is mounting on the U.S. and European Union to avoid a transatlantic trade clash. If no deal is reached, U.S. tariffs of up to 50% could hit EU goods, with Brussels poised to retaliate. The nearly $2 trillion trade relationship, covering everything from pharmaceuticals to cars, hangs in the balance. Still, negotiations remain slow, with both sides now aiming for a bare-bones “agreement in principle.” While the EU appears open to compromise, including accepting a 10% baseline tariff to buy time, analysts warn any short-term truce will be fragile, with future tensions and sudden policy shifts from Washington a constant threat.

   Headlines

   1. Musk was critical of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” in his first public comments after it was signed into law on Friday.

   2. Sam Altman declared himself politically “homeless” on the 4th of July in response to Zohran Mamdani’s comments that he would eliminate billionaires.

Are you looking to grow your business? Here is how I can help: 

📱Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy. (If you need general startup advice, then reply to this email, and I’ll let you know if/how I can help.)

Get a List of the Best HRIS Software for Your Company

Stop wasting time on endless research and confusing options.

Our HR Software experts provide you with tailored recommendations from our database of 1,000+ vendors across HRIS, ATS, Payroll, and HCM.

✅ 15 minutes vs. hours of demos
✅ 1:1 help from an HR Software expert
✅ No spam, no sales pressure

Get Your Free HR Software Matches

Onwards and Upwards,

Liam Gill