Study says gays and lesbians are a "dream market" for tourism

(Originally published in TOURISM)

According to the results of a survey reported in TravelDailyNews (November 20, 2007), lesbians and gay men are a dream market for the tourism industry.

The report says 94.1% of over 6,700 American survey respondents to Community Marketing's 12th Annual LGBT Tourism Study stayed in a hotel at least one night in the last twelve months, with the median respondent staying 14 nights in hotels during that period. A hotel's reputations for gay-friendliness was cited as the top influence for choosing a hotel, followed by location near tourist attractions, location near a gay neighborhood, and free high-speed internet access.

77% of respondents said they shop for hotels and book online, while 29% said they book accommodations by phone or in person through a travel agent or directly with the supplier. 86% of respondents took at least one flight (up slightly from 2006) with a median of six flights in the last 12 months. 81% said they shop and book their flights online.

Other key findings from the study include gay and lesbian interest in adventure travel (41.8%), spa vacations (36.1% ), educational tours (31.6%), culinary trips (29.7%), eco-travel (26.2%) and casinos (22.8%). 25% attended a Gay Pride celebration where they stayed overnight, making it one of the most prominent "gay motivators" for taking a trip.

65% of respondents are gay men, 28% are lesbians, and the remaining 7% identify as bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex. The median age of respondents is 46.

Comments