The Evolving World of Gay Travel

Image by Tim O'Brien

Even before the Great Recession marketing to gay travelers was a growing niche in the tourism industry.  Now, with 19 states allowing full same sex marriage and perhaps 11 others on the way to that status within the next year to year and a half, more and more in the travel industries have awakened to the reality that the LGBT community is one that one wants to court.  When we travel, statistically we stay longer and spend more money.  Among the husband and my circle of friends, we DO travel a good deal (in September, we are going to Venice and then will take a cruise to the Greek Islands) and are not going to go to destinations that are not gay friendly - hence why New York City, Key West and Washington, DC, are favored domestic destinations.  A piece in the New York Times looks at the changing travel scene and one has to wonder when cities in Hampton Roads - especially Virginia Beach - are going to wake up to the fact that they are missing the boat an a significant travel niche.  Obviously, not all in the LGBT community are wealthy - the exact opposite is often the case - but I think we are more discerning of what we want and expect when we travel. Here are article excerpts:

In the 1970s gay tours took men rafting in the Grand Canyon and to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival. Gay hotels began opening in Key West, Fla. And destinations like Provincetown, Mass., were creating some of the first marketing to gay and lesbian travelers.

Today, there are tours spanning the globe not only for gay men, but also for lesbian, bisexual and transgender travelers and their children. Major hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott have dedicated L.G.B.T. microsites and vacation packages. And same-sex marriage laws are transforming cities into travel destinations, with tourism boards and hotels sponsoring L.G.B.T. events and funding advertising campaigns with taglines like Las Vegas’s “Everyone’s welcome. Even straight people.” 

“Having gay marriage passed in so many states has made a big difference,” said Robert Adams, editorial director of Passport magazine, which has an audience of mostly affluent gay male travelers. “People feel they can go someplace and be themselves.” 

The number of places where L.G.B.T. travelers can be themselves has grown exponentially from the pre-Stonewall refuges. Sure, there are plenty of cruises and tours that specifically cater to gay travelers. But the gay vacation that once existed out of necessity is now often simply a vacation — be it a routine family getaway, a destination wedding or a romantic weekend.

[M]edium-size cities like St. Louis, Rochester and, in Florida, St. Petersburg are emerging as regional destinations. Countries in Latin America such as Argentina and Uruguay are opening up thanks to new gay-rights laws. 

“Now you’re seeing competition from all-size destinations and hotel groups wanting a piece of the pie. L.G.B.T. travelers have more options now than just the big urban centers.”Certainly, to define any traveler by his or her sexuality is to view that person through a narrow lens. Countless factors shape travel interests including, but hardly limited to, age, gender, race, socioeconomic status and, of course, personal taste.

[T]he quest for the so-called “pink dollar” has accelerated — pleasing some industry veterans and putting off others — amid reports about how potentially lucrative gay travel is and could be.

Just how lucrative is difficult to quantify. Community Marketing has estimated that the annual economic impact of L.G.B.T. travelers is already about $70 billion a year in the United States.

“This is such a high-traveling, high-spending population,” said Andrew Flack, vice president for product marketing and customer insights of Hilton Worldwide, adding that in the United States a higher percentage of L.G.B.T. travelers have passports than the general travel population.

One boost to gay tourism, travel industry experts say, is same-sex marriage. In New York City alone, the economic impact of the first year of gay marriage was $259.5 million plus $16.5 million in local tax and fee revenues, according to NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization. 

And the marriage and honeymoon business is still in its infancy. . . . Nonetheless, hotels are preparing for an influx of same-sex ceremonies.

When it comes to hotels, some boutique brands, like Kimpton, have already established themselves in the L.G.B.T. market. Now major hotel groups are working to do the same. Over the last few years Marriott and Hilton have created advertisements with gay and lesbian travelers in mind.  . . . . Sophisticated brands and locations are evolving beyond images of rainbow flags and shirtless men, Mr. Adams said, creating ads that, while showing same-sex couples, look like the rest of the brand’s advertising. “It’s great to see a couple together or a family together,” he said. “Don’t throw in every logo.”

Hilton . . .  is expanding its “Stay Hilton. Go Out” L.G.B.T. vacation campaign, which it introduced in 2012. The campaign includes a vacation package (with high-speed Internet and a one-year digital subscription to Out magazine) at more than 460 Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Grand Vacations properties around the world. The Go Out program also has a landing page on Hilton.com with information about travel and promotions.

[I]ndustry professionals say there continues to be interest in gay-related tours and events, particularly among older travelers who grew up in a time of widespread discrimination.

“I think there’s always going to be a demand for that,” said Ms. Johns, “even though we are seeing progress in equal rights legislation.” That is especially true for people who take only one or two big trips a year or who live in places that are not welcoming.

To be considered L.G.B.T.-friendly, a destination usually has a local gay community with which visitors can connect, businesses with nondiscrimination polices and diversity training, and an overall welcoming feel.

As I said, the cities of Hampton Roads are missing out.  For years now I have been telling the City of Hampton that is tourism office needs to join the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.  To date my advice has been ignored.