Criterion Global: International Media Buying Blog

Destination marketing groups, like the travel industry as a whole, are going back to basics in efforts to survive the recession. The gay market is mainstay demographic for savvy destination marketing organizations and travel brands, for greater disposable income, proclivity toward travel, and less-recognized influence as a trend-starting market:

Remember the gay community’s early affection for boutique hotels? That was before everyone else caught on and W’s creators commercialized, syndicated, and franchised the concept (and then allegedly took the formula to Hilton)?

Still, gay marketing is new to some destinations, even New York, whose new Rainbow Pilgrimage Criterion Global blogged about.

A Fun Fact from the Chicago Tribune:

“Gays and lesbians tend to spend more…A 2006 study by the U.S. Travel Association found that gay men spend an average of $800 per trip, compared with about $540 for straight men.” We’re not sure how lesbians are included in that statistic, and 2006 was definitely pre-recession, but nonetheless, you get the idea….

Tom Nibbio, the Chicago-based manager of global partnerships and education for the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, said his group is flooded with requests for seminars on marketing specifically to gays and lesbians. “Chicago is now stepping up a nice campaign to market to gay and lesbian travelers,” Nibbio said…”

Chicago’s initial efforts to attract gay travelers began with the city’s hosting of the 2006 Gay Games, the use of a quarterly newsletter targeted to this consumer base, hosting an International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association meeting this fall, but no specific advertising-based efforts were noted.

The top 10 gay-friendly U.S. destinations, per the U.S. Travel Association, (per 2006 survey data cited by Chicago Tribune):

1. San Francisco
2. Key West
3. New York City

4. Fire Island, N.Y.
5. Provincetown, Mass.
6. Los Angeles
7. Miami/South Beach
8. Las Vegas
9. New Orleans
10. Palm Springs/Palm Desert, Calif.
12. Chicago