The annual Pride parade, which saw 26,000 people marching (and dancing) 1.4 miles through the centre of the capital, was the biggest in the event’s 45-year-history and attracted a million-strong crowd.

For the first time, a rainbow flag was projected onto the Palace of Westminster in celebration of the day and even the prime minister sent a message in support. London was feeling proud.

It capped a week in which travel – and TTG Media – was also feeling proud, after we hosted the third TTG LGBT Conference, and first ever Travel Pride. The day centred on marketing to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sector, and ensuring workplaces are welcoming and inclusive.

“This is not a little trend,” said Liz Grant (awarded an OBE for her services to LGBT equality in the workplace), as she opened the TTG LGBT Conference. “Inclusion and diversity are now essential for successful businesses.” Judging by London’s Pride parade, it is a message that has been grasped by companies across industries – from Tesco to Vodafone; Barclays to PwC; Netflix to Playstation.

And it’s a message that is also starting to be received by the travel industry. In December, Thomas Cook became the first mainstream travel company to include same-sex couples within its TV advertising, and in recent months TTG has reported on several firms introducing LGBT training for its staff to improve the service offered to LGBT customers. What is also being recognised is that this is a conversation that must be championed as loudly by non-LGBT people as by the LGBT community. “I’m white, straight and middle class, and I care about diversity,” Thomas Cook Airlines’ Andrew Sanderson grinned to conference delegates.

There is no denying that travel still has a way to go before emulating the success of other sectors, but the TTG LGBT Conference showed that we are on the journey. And that’s something to feel proud about.