The Big
Business
of LGBT
Travel
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
travel has always existed, but recently main-
stream companies have been tailoring cam-
paigns to the demographic. As social and
political views in the U.S. evolve and become
more accepting of the LGBT community, we
see businesses revamping their marketing
models to become more inclusive as well.
SKIFT REPORT #22
2014
This material is protected by copyright.
Unauthorized redistribution, including email
forwarding, is a violation of federal law.
Single-use copy only.
If you require multiple copies, contact us at
trends@skift.com.
By Merryn Johns + Skift Sta
WWW.SKIFT.COM
Get the twice-monthly Skift Trends Report for the latest intelligence
on the travel industry.
Each edition in our new series of reports will brief you on a specific
trend, providing insight into the current state of the market, the context
around the trend, and where the industry is heading in the near future.
After you subscribe, you will receive 24 reports direct to your inbox
for an entire year. Reports are delivered as a downloadable PDF.
For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].
For more information on past reports go to Skift.com/travel-trends.
Subscribe to the Skift
Trends Report
e lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community has
never been more visible or powerful than now. With the steady
progress of LGBT rights coupled with global economic recovery, the
LGBT consumer is highly desirable—a “dream market” as described
by e Wall Street Journal in 1988 — due to its high discretionary
income, economic resilience, confidence, and brand loyalty.
“Gay travel” has always existed, whether in the form of gay men
partying the night away on Mykonos or lesbians making a pilgrim-
age to their namesake Lesbos. is travel market has grown visibly
in the past 20 years, reflecting advancements in LGBT rights and so-
cial acceptance, resulting in a corresponding increase in corporate
marketing, communications and responsibility aimed at the LGBT
demographic. Today, most players in the travel and tourism industry
agree that the LGBT market is lucrative and actively court it.
LGBT travel might be booming, but marketing strategies and diver-
sity awareness are still evolving at a business level. is report will
discuss the events that helped create LGBT market awareness, the
major trends in today’s market, and innovative approaches to cam-
paigns and strategies that work.
Executive summary
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
3
LGBT travel is nothing new. Bob Damron’s “Address Book” of 1964
offered a guide to the gay bars and bathhouses of Texas (Damron
went on to create the Damron LGBT Travel Guide, now in its 50th
edition, and with men’s and women’s versions), and in the 1970s
Hanns Ebensten took groups of gay men on adventure tours, rafting
in the Grand Canyon, or to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (this concept
lives on in HE Travel).
e emergence of visible and vibrant gay communities and events
in cities and towns such as San Francisco, New York, Provincetown,
and Key West, also helped fuel LGBT travel. In 1979 the clothing op-
tional guesthouse for gay men in Key West “Island House” opened
and prompted a flood of others; in the 1980s and ’90s same-sex
cruises became popular—Atlantis for men, Olivia for women.
But while there have always been LGBT travelers, a consensus on
the importance of the LGBT market had its watershed moment in
1993. Viewed as a pioneer in LGBT marketing today, American Air-
lines’ early adoption of corporate responsibility “grew out of set-
backs that initially rocked the company,” says Bob Witeck, founder
and principal of Washington D.C.-based consulting firm Witeck
Communications Inc. AA flight crew on a flight from Washington,
D.C. to Dallas/Fort Worth requested a change of pillows and blan-
kets due to the number of “activists returning from the gay march
on Washington” on board. Leaked to the LGBT media, this message,
which hinted at panic around HIV/AIDS, inspired protests. While
American’s response included a public apology, sensitivity train-
ing, and the promise of an internal investigation, there were calls
for a boycott. Only months later, a passenger living with AIDS was
forcibly removed from an AA flight after he attempted to administer
medication via an intravenous drip. e protests against American
grew to the threat of an international boycott.
American consulted Witeck, an expert in the field of LGBT market-
ing and communications, and action was taken to prove that Amer-
ican recognized and welcomed its LGBT customers. “Word spread
within the gay community that American was serious about making
changes to be a better company for customers and employees who
Introduction
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
4
are LGBT as well as people living with HIV/AIDS,” recalls Witeck.
ese actions included the creation of a gay-identified sales and
marketing team to handle incoming gay travel requests and to
promote American Airlines at LGBT community events; the inclu-
sion of sexual orientation and gender identity in American’s non-
discrimination policies; domestic partner and transgender health
benefits; joining IGLTA; reaching out to top LGBT organizations to
serve as exclusive airline sponsor. American is the only airline to
have earned a 100% score every year since 2002 on the HRC Cor-
porate Equality Index, and today, many other corporations aim to
reach this standard of LGBT corporate responsibility.
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
5
Table of contents
About Skift
Skift is a travel intel-
ligence company that
oers news, data, and
services to professionals
in travel and professional
travelers, to help them
make smart decisions
about travel.
Skift is the business of
travel.
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 4
Economic value of LGBT consumers 7
The LGBT traveler today 8
Gay men 8
Gay women 10
Bi-Sexual and Transgendered Travel 11
Why Age Matters 12
Baby Boomers 12
X, Y and Millennials 12
Current Travel Trends 13
Weddings & Honeymoons 13
Fam ily Trave l 13
National & International Event Travel 14
Vol untour ism 14
Pets 14
Brand Preference 15
Case Study: Marriott “Love Travels” 15
Trusted Media 16
Case Study: Man About World 16
Marketing to LGBT travelers 17
Case Study #1: Visit Sweden/Gay & Lesbian Stockholm 17
Case Study #2: Montreal, Canada 18
Case Study #3: Olivia Cruises & Resorts 18
Best practices for travel brands 20
About Skift 21
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
6
According to Witeck Communica-
tions, U.S. LGBT buying power is
estimated at $830 billion in 2013,
up from $740 billion in 2012. Thom-
as E. Roth, president of Community
Marketing & Insights (CMI), a San
Francisco-based consultancy rm
for travel industry leaders including
Hyatt, Kimpton, and the Las Vegas
Convention & Visitors Authority
points to one gure as a “standard
in the industry”—and it’s pretty im-
pressive. “According to the US De-
partment of Commerce, the travel
industry generated more than $2
trillion in economic output in 2012.
“Based on this data and CMI sample
demographics, we estimate that
the annual economic impact of
LGBT travelers is over $100 billion
per year in the U.S. alone,” says
Roth.
During the 2007-2009 global
economic crisis the LGBT market
remained resilient, spending on
leisure travel, and remaining opti-
mistic about the economic future.
The LGBT Financial Experience,
a 2012-13 report conducted by
Prudential, found that the median
household income of LGBTs was
$61,500 compared with $50,000 for
the average American household.
According to the report, travel was
a top item in LGBT spending. CMI’s
18th Annual LGBT Travel Survey
of 2013 reported that gay men and
lesbians took an average of seven
leisure trips per year, and with
nearly 40% of LGBTs taking a vaca-
tion of ve nights or more in the
past year, travel is clearly a priority,
even over other purchases such as
a computer devices or cars.
Economic value of LGBT consumers
Source:
www.rfamilyvacations.com
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
7
TO P U.S. D EST IN AT IO NS FO R
LESBIANS
SOURCE: CMI’s 18th Annual LGBT Travel Survey
Report
DESTINATION % VISITED
New York City 15%
San Francisco 15%
Las Vegas 13-14%
Chicago 13-14%
LA/West Hollywood 11-12%
Washington D.C. 10%
Boston 8-9%
San Diego 8-9%
Orlando 8-9%
Seattle 8-9%
Despite the gradual mainstream-
ing of LGBT communities and
identities, the LGBT traveler has
specic needs and wants that set
them apart from heterosexuals.
Gay men and lesbians travel more
frequently than their heterosexual
counterparts; as John Tanzella,
president and CEO of of IGLTA told
the New York Times in May 2014,
6 to 8 percent of overall American
tourism spending (according to
Department of Commerce gures)
is L.G.B.T. spending.”
LGBTs are attracted to urban and
cosmopolitan destinations such
as New York City, Chicago, San
Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los
Angeles/West Hollywood—the top
domestic destinations according
to CMI. Fort Lauderdale, however,
specically Wilton Manors, Florida,
a beachside location with a visible
LGBT community out-ranks Mi-
ami/South Beach as a destination
because of the concerted LGBT
outreach through its “Hello Sunny”
campaign.
The LGBT Traveler Today
Source:
Tourisme Montréal,
Queerof the Year contest
TOP U.S. LEISURE DESTINATIONS
FOR GAY MEN
SOURCE: CMI’s 18th Annual LGBT Travel Survey
Report
DESTINATION % VISITED
New York City 23%
San Francisco 18%
Chicago 18%
Last Vegas 18%
LA/West Hollywood 15%
Washington D.C.
Ft. Lauderdale/
Wilton Manors 15%
Palm Springs 13%
Orlando 10-11%
San Diego 10-11%
Boston 10-11%
Miami/South Beach 10-11%
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
8
TO P IN TE RN AT IO NA L
DESTINATIONS FOR LGBT TRAVELERS
SOURCE: CMI’s 18th Annual LGBT Travel Survey
Report
DESTINATION % VISITED
Canada 13%
England 7%
France 7%
Mexico 7%
Spain 6%
Germany 5%
Italy 5%
Montreal, Canada 5%
Toronto, Canada 5%
Vancouver, Canada 5%
Las Vegas, Nevada, also ranks
highly amongst LGBTs because
of marketing which features the
tagline “Everyone’s welcome, even
straight people.” Internationally,
Canada, England, France, Mexico
and Spain rank highly in the CMI re-
port possibly because these coun-
tries have forms of relationship
recognition for LGBTs. And Mon-
treal and Toronto have launched
sophisticated and concerted
outreach programs targeting LGBT
travelers.
In one sense, the LGBT traveler
sounds like all travelers: rest and
relaxation is the main motiva-
tor for most LGBT vacations, and
both men and women favor beach
escapes and warm climates. How-
ever, LGBTs are also motivated to
travel for Pride, prefer forward-
thinking, progressive destinations,
seek out mid-range hotels with
free Wi-Fi and good amenities,
and tend to avoid organized tour
groups. These distinctions increase
across age and gender.
Gay Men
The gay male traveler—even when
traveling with a partner—is open to
meeting other men, seeks out cul-
tural attractions, has high service
expectations, and tends to be an
“urban core” traveler. According
to the CMI report, when choos-
ing a hotel, high-end design is
more important to gay men than
to women, and upscale cruises
are popular. In media aimed at
gay men, especially in imagery,
clothing optional properties and
settings are also attractive—the
“heterofriendly.”
Axel Hotels in Barcelona, Berlin,
and Maspalomas have an almost
legendary status among gay men
due to an image-driven brand that
emphasizes this. All-male get-
aways have been popular since the
dawn of gay travel and continue
today, fueled by social media and
dating apps. Listed on the IGLTA
website for August 2014 was a
two-week Nude Gay Sailing Cruise
to Croatia by the Dutch company,
Gay Sail. “Two 50 feet sailing
yachts, 20 nude gay boys and m[e]
n!” Another listing for a Gentle-
men Only Party Event in Santorini
promised a clothing optional pool
along with sunsets. Island House
For Men, Key West’s largest gay
men’s guesthouse, has built its
client base around its “private
clothing-optional compound with
pool, sundecks, poolside cafe &
bar, gym (both free weights &
machines), sauna, steam room,
indoor & outdoor jacuzzis, and
erotic video room.”
But it’s not all about sex. Gay men
are increasingly interested in
experiential and authentic travel,
says Ed Salvato, editor-in-chief of
digital magazine ManAboutWorld.
“Quirky local events, like the gay
matchmaking festival in Lisdoon-
varna, Ireland we write about in
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
9
Source:
American Airlines,
Human Rights Campaign
Source:
http://escollectionamsterdam.com/web/
our current issue; gay travelers are
seeking out these experiences in
record numbers.” Luxury and cu-
rated international travel is also of
interest, with websites such as
TravelAlt.com and HautesVacanc-
es.com catering to the upscale gay
consumer.
Gay Women
Lesbians tend to travel in couples
(according to Curve magazine’s
reader survey, a majority of gay
women are in relationships), and
they are more likely to travel for
romance, not surprising given that
65% of female same-sex couples
went on a honeymoon last year
compared to 49% of gay male cou-
ples [CMI]. They seek out seclu-
sion, nature, and soft adventure.
Safety and value for money are
top priorities.
While some marketers believe
that the lesbian market is too
dened by budget conscious-
ness, the Prudential report
indicates that lesbians actually
slightly outspend gay men on
travel (53% vs. 52%). “While
the media typically focuses on
the buying power of gay male
couples, the study indicates that
lesbians are also a signicant
economic force. Lesbians have a
higher median individual income
than women in the general population,
and their overall household income is
on par with gay men because the ma-
jority live in a dual-income household.”
[Prudential]
Lesbians are more likely to be adven-
ture travelers and seek out travel o
the beaten path. The lesbian-owned
travel companies Pink Iceland, which
specializes in soft adventure tours
of Iceland, and the lesbian-owned
and nature-centric Ecocircuitous in
Panama, Wild Rainbow African Safaris
in South Africa and Brazil Ecojourneys
are a few such examples. Lesbians are
more likely to consider accommoda-
tion alternatives to hotels, such as
apartment rentals, home exchange,
and even house sitting (Globetrotter-
girls.com and Housesittingworld.com
are lesbian-owned websites). They’re
also more likely to self-cater, live like a
local, and give back to local communi-
ties through carbon oset or charities.
“We get gay guys and women doing our
tours but normally the lesbians are the
ones that ask the questions about our
‘green’ credentials and how sustainable
our tours are,” says Marta Dalla Chiesa,
lesbian owner/operator of Brazil Eco-
journeys.
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
10
Bi-Sexual and Transgendered Travel
The other two groups in the LGBT
community are harder to identify as
consumer proles. Bisexuals are less
readable in public, since they are read
as either gay or straight depending
upon the partner they are traveling
with, and are serviced accordingly.
Trans and gender
nonconforming travelers have special
needs when they travel depending on
their gender expression, which may
or may not match their government-
issued
identication.
To this extent, sensitivity training of
airline and TSA personnel is necessary.
Travel businesses specically cater-
ing to trans travelers are few, although
Dynamic Travel & Cruises, established
30 years ago by a transgender travel
agent, recently advertised a cruise
on the IGLTA website. The IGLTA
has itself attempted outreach to the
trans community mostly through its
nonprot foundation, which recently
oered drastically reduced member-
ship rates to assist small LGBT-owned
travel businesses in emerging markets
where the infrastructure for this com-
munity is not
yet established. “Due to the lack of
visibility for transgender-run busi-
nesses, this program is open to trans-
gender-owned/operated businesses
anywhere in the world,” ran the post,
and encouraged businesses espe-
cially in Central and South America,
Asia, the Eastern Bloc, Africa and the
Middle East to apply.
Mixed Travel
As the LGBT community wins the
same rights and acceptance as het-
erosexuals, mixing socially is more
common. LGBT weddings, honey-
moons and family travel are increas-
ing. Some straight clientele even
follow the gays market as an inu-
encer market, preferring the upscale
aesthetic of gay favorites such as the
W Hotel. The Out NYC is New York
City’s rst “straight friendly” urban
resort, and in other such hip and ur-
ban core environments as Barcelona
or Las Vegas, where the gay travel-
ler will not be placated by the image
of the humble rainbow ag, “straight
friendly” is becoming an appealing
tagline.
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
11
As with other travelers, the needs
and preferences of LGBT travelers
dier according to age and stage in
life.
Baby Boomers
According to the CMI report, older
LGBTs are warm weather travel-
ers and older gay men are likely to
stay LGBT-dedicated properties
and guesthouses. Some older gay
men are more likely to vacation
with lesbian friends of a similar age,
since nightclubbing and meeting
other men are no longer priori-
ties. “A very important segment
is the aging LGBT traveler,” says
co-founder of R Family Vacations,
Gregg Kaminsky. “I still love disco
music, but I might not be on the
dance oor all night with my shirt
o anymore. Stick me in a piano
bar with show tunes and cocktails
and I’m a happy gay man.” Salvato
agrees, “the over-50 gay traveler
is part of a rst-ever generation of
out, gay-identied travelers, with
the money and time for extensive
travel. This diverse market includes
guys celebrating milestone birth-
days, and traveling with small to
medium sized groups of friends and
family—often footing the bill.”
X, Y and Millennials
According to the Boston Consulting
Group, 16-34 year olds are more
likely to travel internationally, use
low-cost carriers and less likely to
use loyalty programs. According to
CMI, younger LGBTs are motivated
to travel by friends, entertainment
and LGBT nightlife. They are more
likely than older LGBTs to describe
themselves as budget, urban, ad-
venture travelers, and more likely to
use mobile devices for planning and
during trips.
Despite the mainstreaming of the
LGBT community, Millennials still
need niche, bespoke or consulting
services to cater to their specic
consumer prole and tastes. “We
are looking at diversifying to in-
clude women-only groups,
because younger lesbians, specially
in Europe, seem to prefer that,”
says Marta Dalla Chiesa of Brazil
Ecojourneys.
Why Age Matters
Source:
visitlasvegas.com/gaytravel
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
12
The LGBT consumer market is an
“inuencer” market and an early
adopter of new trends. Add to this
the rapid progress in equal rights
for LGBTs and numerous trends
are apparent.
Weddings & Honeymoons
The Williams Institute has found
that there is a substantial impact
on a state’s economy tied to its law
regarding gay marriage. Massa-
chusetts gained $111 million over
the rst four years after same-sex
marriage was made legal. One year
after New York passed the Mar-
riage Equality Act, “gay marriage
generated $259 million in economic
impact in New York City alone,”
noted ThinkProgress.
States with marriage equality such
as Washington are aggressively
targeting the LGBT traveler. The
“Marry Me in Seattle” advertising
campaign invites couples to enter
sweepstakes to marry with openly
gay Seattle Mayor Ed Murray as
wedding ociant, and oers the
services of 50 local companies.
Current Travel Trends
Source:
www.rfamilyvacations.com
“Same-sex couples will become
more ambitious in selecting hon-
eymoon locations as well, con-
sidering nuptials in other parts of
the world,” says Witeck. “With the
merger between American Airlines
and US Airways, the airline will
probably reach more of the world
than ever before, and perhaps
more than any other airline.”
Family Travel
While lesbians have children more
than gay men, there is also “much
pent-up desire to have and raise
families, particularly among gay
men for the rst time,” says Wi-
teck, “so the options for family-
friendly travel will be growing too.”
According to CMI, the majority of
LGBT parents are motivated by
child-friendly over LGBT-friendly
destinations and hotels. Orlando,
FL. has its own LGBT Convention
& Visitors Bureau and launched the
inaugural Family Outfest in 2014.
“There are certainly many more
LGBT families so the market size
has certainly increased,” says Ka-
minsky. “We provide an important
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
13
experience to LGBT families—
the ability to spend quality time
with families just like theirs.” And
because family trumps gay iden-
tity, R Family oers “something
for everyone” including dierent
price points, vacations on land and
sea, weekend getaways, summer
camps, and trips for gay parents
with adult kids, gay empty nesters,
or gay adults with no kids. “We cer-
tainly see in the future gay grand-
parent vacations, so stay tuned!”
National & International Event
Travel
LGBTs travel for community-build-
ing events such as Gay Pride and
circuit parties and LGBT fundrais-
ers such as White Party, Lazarus,
Aquagirl. Politically signicant
events such as the Gay Games,
World Pride, EuroPride, or Prides
in regions where LGBT equality is
emerging (for example, Prague, Jo-
hannesburg, Phuket, Curacao) may
also inspire travel. International
music festivals aimed at LGBTs are
also growing in popularity, includ-
ing events in Bangkok, Barcelona,
Hamburg, Istanbul, Mallorca, and
Taipei. “LGBT travel is booming,
that’s clear, and we are witnessing
a surge in welcoming campaigns
and policies from many parts of the
world, particularly in Latin America
and throughout Europe, even some
parts of Asia,” says Witeck.
Voluntourism
Do-gooding while on vacation is
also popular with LGBTs. Global
Volunteers has an international
LGBT program that sends hard-
working and non-tourist-minded
LGBTs to assist communities on
PRIDE EVENTS BY MONTH
week-long work vacations.
Fromhousestohomes.org,
based in Guatemala, also
oers a satisfying working
vacations building houses for
underprivileged locals, and is a
favorite of CMI’s Tom Roth.
Pets
Many gays and lesbians who do
not have children own pets and
spend a considerable amount
of resources on them. Lesbi-
ans outspend gay men on pets
but both men and women like
to travel with their animals
and seek out pet-friendly and
gay-friendly hotels such as
Kimpton.
DESTINATION MONTH
Cape Town February
EuroSki March
Phuket March
Miami April
Tokyo April
Cyprus May
Sao Paulo May
Los Angeles June
Honolulu June
Philadelphia June
Tel Aviv June
London June
Berlin June
Zagreb June
New York June
San Francisco June
Paris June
Cologne July
Stockholm July
Amsterdam July
Vancouver July
Antwerp August
Reykjavik August
Montreal August
Copenhagen August
Tallinn August
Taiwan September
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
14
70% of LGBTs would pay premium
for a product from a company that
supports the LGBT community and
78% would switch brands to compa-
nies that are known as LGBT friendly,
according to OutThink Partners. To
this extent, brand preference and
loyalty is strong among LGBT travel-
ers. CMI survey respondents were
able to positively recall ve leading
hotel brands that had been eective
in reaching out to the LGBT commu-
nity: Hilton, Marriott, Kimpton, W and
Hyatt chains.
Case Study: Marriott
“Love Travels”
Launched just in time for wedding
season, June through Novem-
ber 2014, Marriott International’s
#LoveTravels campaign was the
largest-ever diversity campaign for
the LGBT demographic (according
to mediapost.com). The campaign,
which played on the zeitgeist of
“love is love” utilized portraits by
photographer Braden Summers of
well-known LGBT Americans and
regular LGBT couples to convey a
message of identity, Pride, love, ac-
ceptance, and belonging—at home
and away.
Key to the campaign were images of
out professional basketball player
Jason Collins, and Geena Rocero, a
transgender Filipina model, advo-
cate and public speaker. The images
were displayed Marriott buildings in
Washington DC, San Francisco and
New York, as well as in display ads
and on the microsite
Marriott.com/gaytravel.
Brand Preference
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
15
Source::
http://www.sunny.org/lgbt/
While mainstream media, most re-
cently The New York Times, occa-
sionally tackles the subject of LGBT
travel, LGBT media is still the most
trusted source of travel information
for LGBT travelers. According to the
CMI report, a majority of both gay
men and women respond to LGBT
websites, and feature articles in
LGBT print magazines—even over
travel guidebooks. While older LGBTs
are inuenced by print, younger LG-
BTs are inuenced by new media such
as travel blogs, as well as social tech
like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Foursquare and Snapchat.
Case Study: Man About World
A magazine developed exclusively
for iPad and Android tablets, Man-
AboutWorld provides broad inspira-
tion and highly curated
recommendations for gay men who
love to travel,” says Salvato. From
the same founder as landmark travel
magazine Out Traveler, it aims for
savvy, inspired and opinionated
editorial, but with a modern digital-
native, immersive platform, featur-
ing live links, embedded audio, video
and HTML. “In two years, we’ve
been downloaded onto 25,000
tablets—and we gain 1,000 new
downloads a month,” says Salvato.
ManAboutWorld has a contributor
network of more than 75 “travel ex-
perts—kind of a ‘who’s who’ of gay
travel. They are our eyes and ears
around the world, sending us their
new discoveries and keeping our
travel guides up to date.” In addition
to 10 issues per year, ManAbout-
World oers guides as separate
downloadable e-books.
Trusted Media
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
16
Source:
http://www.manaboutworld.com/
Creating authentic campaigns to
attract the LGBT traveler involves
more than display ads festooned in
rainbow colors. Since LGBTs are not
a homogenous consumer group, the
following case studies are illustrative
of successful strategies and
techniques.
Case Study #1: Visit Sweden/Gay
& Lesbian Stockholm
While Sweden’s image is already
that of a tolerant and welcoming
city to LGBTs, its DMOs had an ob-
jective to elevate it to a world-class
destination for LGBTs. Stockholm
Gay & Lesbian Network (SGLN),
founded in 2005 as a project within
Stockholm Visitors Board, the of-
cial marketing organization of
Stockholm and owned by the city,
had the objective “to make Stock-
holm a preferred destination for gay
and lesbian travellers,” says Christi-
na Guggenberger, Project Manager
Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network
at Stockholm Visitors Board, Meet-
ings & Conventions.
While the political situation in Rus-
sia has not been a direct factor in
prompting Sweden to market to
LGBT travellers, it has provided
inspiration. Last year’s #gowest
campaign initiated by Stockholm
Pride invited Russian LGBTs to
Sweden, and a video initiative dur-
ing the Olympic Games in Sochi
had the Stockholm Stadium lled
with LGBT community, family and
friends singing the Russian anthem.
“Diversity, Openness and Respect
are important values for welcoming
destinations and are core values for
Stockholm and Sweden,” says
Guggenberger.
Visit Sweden and Gay & Lesbian
Stockholm specically target les-
bian travelers. “In our marketing
strategy and Gay Guide we have al-
ways included both gay and lesbian.
However, with input from our lesbi-
an media visits, attending seminars,
and taking part in and learning from
surveys, we realized that it is very
important to communicate with
the lesbian community. In 2010 we
pinpointed the key persons within
lesbian business in Stockholm to get
them to participate in our network.
Marketing to LGBT Travelers
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
17
Source: Stockholm
Gay & Lesbian Guide
We produce a lesbian destination
guide, target relevant sales chan-
nels and media, and have done
lesbian specic campaigns. Today
our Stockholm Lesbian Guide is our
most visited page on our blog
gaylesbian.visitstockholm.com.”
Case Study #2: Montreal, Canada
Tourisme Montreal was a pioneer
in the LGBT marketplace with in-
novative initiatives to attract the
LGBT traveler. “In 1994, Montreal,
Key West and Provincetown were
basically the only destinations with
a specic marketing outreach aimed
at the LGBT market,” says Tanya
Churchmuch, a PR consultant who
supervised Tourisme Montreal’s
LGBT outreach. “By being one of the
rst out of the gate we were able to
solidify our presence early on, which
is especially important today seeing
as there is so much global competi-
tion by destinations for the LGBT
market. Montreal is known world-
wide as a welcoming and exciting
destination for the LGBT
community.”
Key to their success was “authen-
ticity” and keeping up with new
marketing strategies. “When mar-
keting to the LGBT community, it is
so very important to show that you
are not simply ‘pinkwashing’,” says
Churchmuch, who points out that
Tourisme Montreal was public about
its support of the LGBT community,
incorporating it within its greater
overall marketing conversation.
“You’ll nd Montreal’s Gay Village
included on the general tourist map
that is given to every single tourist
who comes to the city. It’s a great
neighborhood, and everybody
should know about it.”
Also key was keeping up with devel-
opments in online media and
inventing campaigns that lived
virally, such as the international, on-
line Queer of the Year competition
for three summers via Facebook
from 2010-2012. “Nothing like that
had ever been seen before,” says
Churchmuch. “Last year Tourisme
Montreal was the rst destination to
include a transgendered individual
(Carmen Carrera) as part of our Do
Your Thing LGBT YouTube cam-
paign. This year, we partnered with
Logo to create a 6-part web series
called Montreal Boy, as a way to ap-
proach the younger LGBT market.
We use the word ‘queer’ in much
of what we do—a risky move that
no other North American DMO has
done, but it paid o for us.”
The payo is considerable: around
6-8% of visitors to Montreal self-
identify as LGBT, but their spend
represents about 11-12% of tour-
ists overall, says Churchmuch.
“That is a huge proportion for a so-
called small, niche group.”
Case Study #3: Olivia Cruises &
Resorts
Olivia president Judy Dlugacz
clearly believes in the necessity for
lesbian-exclusive travel. Since 1990,
when she founded the world’s best
known cruise company for lesbians
the demand for lesbian-exclusive
travel has increased. “For example,
in 2013, we grew 40% and we con-
tinue to see tremendous potential
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
18
Source: Olivia Lesbian Travel
from the international market as
well as the U.S. market.” The appeal
of the brand lies in its product, but
also the marketing, which depicts
couples and groups of women of
varying age, ethnic background,
body type and gender expression,
relaxing against tropical backdrops.
The imagery appeals to the
lesbian demand for inclusiveness,
and safety.
“We are seeing a greater number of
women wanting safe, secure ways
to see more of the world so we have
expanded our oerings and types of
trips to include large cruises to Aus-
tralia, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, and
the Caribbean. Our mid-size ships
and riverboats have taken women
to incredible destinations in Europe,
the British Isles and Greece. We
have resorts in the Caribbean and
Mexico. We do small adventure trips
like safaris, cruises through the
Galapagos Islands and polar bear
expeditions. We’ve done cruise/
land trips to China, Vietnam and
Cambodia. And our luxury cruises
go to Tahiti, South America, the
Mediterranean and much more.”
Aordability is also key to the
lesbian traveler—Olivia oers pay-
ment plans; plus exclusivity mat-
ters to women who live and work
in predominantly heterosexually-
oriented professions and states
with no anti-discrimination pro-
tection. “There is nowhere else
where you can be in the majority,
because we charter the entire ship
and resort for our guests and bring
amazing talent and redesign the
programming for our guests. We
make traveling carefree and the joy
it should be.”
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
19
While most in the travel trade want the lucrative “pink dollar,”
“authenticity” is the buzzword circulating that enables brands to avoid
“pinkwashing,” or disingenuous marketing that aims at attracting the gay
dollar without understanding the consumer behind it. In the past two dec-
ades, LGBT marketing and consultancy firms have reached out to corpora-
tions and businesses to assist them in this process, to build a relationship
with LGBT consumers, and extend an authentic invitation to them.
“Travel brands seeking to engage LGBT consumers need to build a relation-
ship with those consumers and make an authentic invitation to them to
experience their product or service,” says Stephan A. Roth, principal of Out-
ink Partners. “A booth at the local Pride festival one day out of the year or
a rainbow flag on your website is not enough.”
Roth’s recommendations include:
• Show LGBT travelers that you understand their needs
• Support organizations that are important to the community
• Customize products and services to meet the needs of LGBT travelers
“At the end of the day, perhaps the most important way to build a rela-
tionship with LGBT consumers is still through the product. As long as the
product is excellent and LGBT customers feel valued and respected they
will continue to bring their business back. I have a gay friend who’s an
attorney and active on the boards of several LGBT non-profits. He recently
flew a major U.S. airline and had a terrible experience with a flight atten-
dant who disapproved of his ‘gay lifestyle’ and berated him for traveling to
another city to attend Pride there. You can imagine that he won’t be flying
with them again anytime soon!”
Best practices for travel brands
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
20
Skift is a business information company focused on travel intelligence
and offers news, data, and services to professionals in travel and
professional travelers, to help them make smart decisions about travel.
Founded in 2012 by media entrepreneur Rafat Ali, Skift is based in
New York City and backed by Lerer Ventures, Advancit Capital and
other marquee media-tech investors.
Skift.com
twitter.com/skift
facebook.com/Skiftnews
linkedin.com/company/skift
About Skift
Connect with Skift
For any comments or questions, email us: trends@skift.com.
The Big Business of LGBT Travel
SKIFT REPORT #22 2014
21
