November 12, 2004 -- It seems that gay travel can be divided into two groups -- Gay travel with a capital "G" and gay travel with a lowercase "g". So what's the difference you may ask and does it really matter? Well, Gay Travel is predominantly travel that is specifically designed for a gay audience, meaning that an entire cruise, vacation package, tour or hotel is pretty much dedicated to gay clientele, which can be great if that's the type of vacation you are after. But it is also rather segregating and doesn't really cater for the gay traveler who doesn't want to isolate him or herself. You may not want to spend an entire week at sea surrounding by 1000 gay men, but you'd also like to be reassured that you will be comfortable on a gay-friendly mixed cruise.
The mainstreaming of gay travel means that gay travelers are no longer restricted in their choices. They can use dedicated gay friendly travel agents, visit gay only travel websites, or alternatively use mainstream tourism providers who they know will cater to their specific needs.
The tourism industry has come to realize that the estimated $54 billion spent annually by gay travelers should be open to all, and that there are certainly great benefits to embracing gay tourism in the mainstream travel world. It has been a bit slow coming for certain companies, the most widely publicized example would have to be Sandals Resorts (www.sandals.com), which operate 12 couples-only resorts in the Caribbean. Although there was never a written rule per se, same-sex couples have purposefully or inadvertently not been accepted at Sandals since 1981, which led to much disdain in the gay community worldwide. In August 2004, Sandals quietly lifted this restriction.
Despite the new change in policy, the Sandals group is not target marketing to gay couples and this is seen by many as a token step by the company to avoid further adverse publicity. The resort is not offering special vacations for gay couples and the change in policy is not evident on the company's website. It also remains to be seen whether gay couples decide to forgive and forget and start going to Sandals. The company also owns Beaches family resorts and has always welcomed same-sex couples with children there.
Gay travelers tend to be fiercely brand loyal and therefore marketing to the gay community can establish a long and lucrative relationship. Mainstream online booking sites, like Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) have dedicated gay travel sections on their website (not to mention Orbitz's great TV campaign featuring gay marionettes by the pool!).
In cities like San Francisco, Sydney, Key West, Bangkok and Barcelona, tourism authorities have relied on the influx of gay tourists as their bread and butter for many years. Taking the lead from these and other pioneering cities like Montreal and Fort Lauderdale, a growing number of North American destinations, including San Diego, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, New Haven and Bloomington are turning their attention and marketing dollars towards a more diverse audience, working to attract gay and lesbian conventions, events and leisure travelers.
International tourism organizations in Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Tahiti and the UK are a few of the dozens of destinations with targeted campaigns that produce brochures and websites highlighting gay events, activities, points of interest, sightseeing and gay-friendly hotels. Included in the Out & About 2004 list of up-and-coming international gay destinations are Buenos Aires; Melbourne (Australia); Vancouver; Hong Kong; Cape Town (South Africa); Berlin; Shanghai (China); Toronto; Rio de Janeiro; Copenhagen; Stockholm and Lisbon.
So many mainstream tourism organizations and companies are now marketing specifically to the gay community, that you would think they has been doing so for years. In fact, it is still a relatively recent phenomenon and less than ten percent of the mainstream travel industry currently markets to the gay community.
The Wyndham Hotel group has had a long involvement with the gay community, sponsoring gay events, advertising in gay media, positive marketing within the gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender (GLBT) community, promoting workplace diversity, and for the second year running, the Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa in The Walt Disney World Resort has been named the host resort and official Welcome Center for Gay Day Orlando 2005 (www.gayday.com). Held the first weekend in June, Gay Day attracts over 120,000 guests from around the world annually to Orlando. Founded in 1991, Gay Day has grown to become the largest gay and lesbian travel experience offering a weekend of fun-filled events centered around area theme parks and attractions.
Several North American ski resorts run Gay and Lesbian ski weeks and events. Whistler Blackcomb (BC, Canada) hosts an event called Altitude from January 29 until February 7, 2005. This gay themed event features a pool party, tea dances and a variety of activities, Visit www.whistlerchamberofcommerce.com or www.outontheslopes.com for further information. Aspen Colorado hosts an annual Gay and Lesbian ski week, which will take place from January 16 to 23 in 2005. Visit www.aspenchamber.org or www.stayaspensnowmass.com/p-gay-ski-week.php. The Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week in normally conservative Park City Utah runs from January 5 to 9, 2005. See www.parkcityinfo.com for details. Stowe, Vermont (www.stowe.com) a favorite venue for same-sex civil unions is always gay-friendly, either on the slopes or at the Town Hall.
Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, holds true to its name. It is noted for its welcoming gayborhood in Center City and its International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Equality Forum. Their 2005 city tourism campaign's advertising blitz uses the catchy slogan "Come to Philadelphia: get your history straight and your nightlife gay." The city has an official dedicated gay tourism website -- www.gophila.com and has also produced a TV commercial targeting gay visitors.
Cruising seems to be one of the most popular gay travel options, whether it be on dedicated gay-only cruises or on mainstream cruise lines. Cruise One (tel. 888/682-8081; www.cruiseone.com) runs popular tour groups for gay and lesbian couples with or without children. Their cruises are offered on mainstream cruise lines, with destinations like the Mediterranean, the South Pacific, Alaska and Mexico. Commitment ceremonies, both on-ship and on-shore, are welcome. Cruise One even offers a cruise specifically for gay and lesbian would-be parents considering adoption, providing opportunities for networking with other couples, finding out about adoption procedures and gay parenting.
Tour operators that specialize in gay and lesbian group tours on mainstream cruises include Pied Piper Travel (tel. 800/ 874-7312; www.home.att.net/~gaygroupcruises/index.html) and Ocean Voyager (tel. 800/435-2531; www.oceanvoyager.com).
R Family Vacations (tel. 866/732-6822; www.rfamilyvacations.com) is a relatively new gay and lesbian family-friendly travel service. It has received much media attention due to its part ownership by Rosie O'Donnell and it represents an emerging market in gay destination travel as the make-up of the "traditional" family changes. So far the service only offers cruise options but is expected to expand its services in the future. Atlantis (www.atlantisevents.com) and RSVP (www.rsvp.net) cruises for men and Olivia (www.olivia.com) cruises for women, usually charter an entire ship or resort for gay groups.
The recent attention regarding gay weddings and civil unions has had a positive effect on the growth of a relatively new tourism market -- gay honeymoons and travel to attend gay unions. The destinations reaping these rewards are restricted to Canada, Vermont, Oregon and Massachusetts. Gay Wedding (www.gaywedding.com) is a site dedicated to helping you plan your same-sex wedding or civil union including a section for honeymoons featuring packages in four states -- Florida, New York, Illinois and Texas. There are a number of other gay wedding sites and resources, including www.outandabout.com's gay wedding guide (one of over 75 titles available for purchase as a downloadable PDF document).
There are so many websites dedicated to providing information and services to gay travelers that it would be impossible to list them all. Here are a few that can point you in the right direction and help you make decisions.
- www.outandabout.com: Their annual editor's choice awards (July/August) recognize outstanding achievement in gay tourism in the areas of innovation, excellence and adherence to gay family values. They also give out their "Rock Bottom" award for worst tourism providers.
- www.planetout.com/travel (tel. 877/269-2775) has listings of gay-friendly travel agents, hotels, cruise lines etc. It also sells the Out & About downloadable travel guides
- www.gay.com/travel: Events calendar, guides, metro top five cities and so much more
- www.navigaytor.net markets itself as the first gay online reservation site offering real time deals and discounts. Accommodation listings are gay friendly only, mostly gay owned, operated or managed.
- www.gaymap.info: Gay tourism information and maps for over 40 cities around the world. Gay-focused info includes everything from financial services to tattoo parlors.
- www.damron.com (tel. 800/462-6654): Travel guides, listings of tour operators, events etc.
www.odyusa.com (tel. 800/257-5344): Exclusively gay reservation and travel service
www.gayfriendlyinns.com povides listings of more intimate bed and breakfast and retreats in every state to help you plan your perfect romantic getaway plus info on Vermont civil unions
www.footprintstravel.com (tel. 888/962-6211) features gay group, mainstream and independent travel options.
Join the discussion on Gay and Lesbian Travel in our Gay and Lesbian Message Boards today.