LGBT Travel: No One Size Fits All

Don’t make assumptions about LGBT travel, but take the time to get to know this unique and lucrative market, said a panel of LGBT travel industry veterans at ASTA’s Global Convention.

“This is not a teeny, tiny niche market that has a little bit of obscure value,” said panel moderator Tanya Churchmuch, founder of MuchPR. “It is a valuable, interesting and, for me, amazing clientele.”

In Community Marketing’s recent LGBT Tourism Study, 29% of the 4,000 respondents said they take five or more leisure trips a year, and 14% take five or more business trips. In the U.S. alone, LGBT travel has an economic impact of more than $100 billion a year.

On the ASTA panel, Tom Alderink, Belmond’s director of leisure and LGBT sales; Lisa Cook, founder of HyPride, Hyatt’s business resource group for LGBT colleagues; and Jeff Gundvaldson, managing director of Brand g Vacations, all noted that you don’t have to be part of the LGBT community to sell to it.

But you must recognize the individual differences among clients in this, as in any, group, and be well aware of the challenges that LGBT clients can face in the U.S. and abroad.

Authenticity and sincerity are key, combined with a real knowledge of the market that comes from studying it before selling it.

“You genuinely have to be interested in the community and not be afraid to ask questions,” Convultan said. Attend events, speak with the local gay and lesbian chamber of commerce, and get to know people before trying to sell them. And get a feel for the intangible little things and words that might discourage an LGBT traveler from dealing with you.

“Use more generic terms, such as significant other or partner, and don’t make assumptions about people up front,” he suggested. “The gay and lesbian community is very diverse.”

Then follow up for your customers by communicating their status with suppliers in advance to prevent slip-ups­­—such as “His” and “Hers” slippers or robes, or addressing the couple as “Mr. and Mrs.” in correspondence.

Above all, agreed Churchmuch, “it’s really important not to pigeonhole every LGBT traveler. With all of your years of experience and knowledge of properties and carriers, it is still really a lot of the same questions. It just comes down to being attentive to the needs of your clients.”

Gundvaldson noted that where LGBT customers might risk embarrassment at home, they can face real harassment and physical danger abroad. “It’s important to know the places where being gay is illegal,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean gay people can’t travel there and still have a safe and enjoyable vacation.”

Agents can find a list of LGBT-friendly hotels in the Human Rights Campaign Buyers Guide, which measures employers’ LGBT inclusiveness on a scale of one to 100, or on the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s website.

And the U.S. Department of State’s LGBT travel information site features alerts and warnings of areas where LGBT travelers might be in danger.