As the recession recedes, the summer LGBT travel season is approaching with promise.
According to the 2012 LGBT Travel Survey, conducted by Community Marketing Inc., nearly a third of gay men and lesbians increased their travel in the previous year — a trend that market researchers anticipate could continue in 2013.
“LGBT travel consumers are well known to be a robust market segment,” CMI president Tom Roth told PGN. “The travel industry was pretty much ‘first to market’ to the LGBT community way back in the early ’90s and remains among the most active today. After Katrina, gay travelers led the way back to New Orleans and are rebounding quickly, post-recession. This is a very active, high-volume travel segment, less affected by the economy or other concerns than their general-population counterparts.”
According to CMI’s travel report, released in October, about 32 percent of gay men and 35 percent of lesbians increased their overall travel during the preceding year, figures that are higher than in 2011, when nearly 30 percent of gay men decreased their travel, compared with 24 percent last year.
More than 65 percent of both gay men and lesbians surveyed identified as “warm-weather travelers.” Of leisure travelers, the June-September months were the most popular times for trips.
And when it comes to selecting destinations, LGBT travelers are loyal — with about 43 percent of gay men and 37 percent of lesbians saying the top motivating factor for their leisure travel was to return to a favorite destination. Efforts to get those travelers to initially invest in the destination, however, could benefit from good LGBT event planning, as the second-most common reason for travel was to attend events.
A destination’s LGBT-friendly reputation was the third-most-cited travel reason, a theme that appeared throughout the report.
More than a third of respondents said a company’s LGBT reputation was influential in how they chose their destination, hotel and retail stores they visited. For some, it also factored into choices on airlines, travel agents and cruise lines.
A hotel’s LGBT friendliness was the third most significant factor in respondents’ most recent hotel visit, and 46 percent of gay men and 42 percent of lesbians said they mostly stay in LGBT-friendly hotels for leisure travel.
More than 60 percent of gay men belong to a hotel-guest loyalty program, as do 56 percent of lesbians, and slightly higher numbers belong to airline-rewards programs.
LGBTs used a number of sources to obtain information about travel services and companies, most frequently tapping friends and family for referrals, followed by online travel sites and LGBT media ads.
Roth said there are a number of steps hospitality facilities can take to enhance their LGBT reputation — including joining local LGBT chambers of commerce like Philadelphia’s Independence Business Alliance (independencebusinessalliance.com) to network or international hospitality organizations like the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association or TAG Approved.
But, most important, Roth said, is an authentic commitment to community.
“Be genuine,” he said. “Beyond LGBT print and web communications, in LGBT marketing, getting involved and giving back are very important market tactics. And, of course, just the right thing to do.”