A Pride flag flies on a Cornwall beach.

Britain’s premier online travel website expedia.co.uk have added an LGBT search filter to their hotel options in order to assist gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in finding welcoming and safe places to stay when planning holidays at home and abroad.

Created in partnership with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), the foremost global organisation dedicated to making links between businesses in the LGBT tourism industry, it is hoped this new option will simplify and improve both the search and booking experience for their customers.

The website claims to offer more than 500 gay-friendly hotels for travellers to choose from. The new filtering system was installed after research highlighted the difficulties that LGBT travellers often faced when trying to find places to stay where they would not be subject to any prejudice. As a result, LGBT travellers can now search for accommodation under “LGBT-welcoming” hotels in Hotel Preferences.

For more information, visit expedia.co.uk