Tourism One of the Most

Tourism

One of the most significant developments in the travel industry, particularly as it applies to hotel management and marketing, is the recent trend aimed at attracting gay and lesbian clients. This trend developed as marketing research showed that gay and lesbian people are more likely to travel, and have more disposable income to spend when traveling, than the general population does. Thus, this group of individuals, who for decades was regarded as a niche travel population that only gay or lesbian-only travel marketing niche catered to, is now a mainstream market within the travel industry as a whole.

This paper will focus on the effect the gay and lesbian population has had on hotel management and marketing. By reviewing and analyzing various articles and reports on this topic, this paper will demonstrate why the gay and lesbian population is a heavily marketed group within the travel industry. Likewise, this paper will review why a hotel manager should market to the gay and lesbian traveling population. Finally, the paper will also touch briefly on how effective marketing to this population can occur.

II. What Gay and Lesbian Travelers Want in a Hotel

In a study conducted by the Journal of Travel Research regarding the general experiences of the gay and lesbian population with hotels, an insight was gained as to how this population chooses a particular hotel to stay at when traveling. This information is important as it allows hotels to better market to these needs. (Poria, 2006).

According to the results, the main determining factor in a gay or lesbian's choice of a hotel is whether or not the hotel had (in the past) or had a reputation for making them or other gays and lesbians feel accepted and welcome when their sexual orientation is known. To state this differently, gay and lesbian travelers have a high expectation for being treated in the same manner as heterosexuals when using a hotel and its services. Further, this expectation should not be dependent on them keeping their sexual orientation hidden. (Poria, 2006).

The information gained from the Poria article is of relevance to the travel industry, as its findings will benefit a hotel's ability to shape its service provisions and delivery to attract and meet the needs of the lesbian and gay population. Further, marketing this positive reputation will be one of the most effective ways of attracting the gay and lesbian population. (Poria, 2006).

III. Why Market to Gay and Lesbian Travelers?

In an article by Robyn Taylor Parets entitled "Marketing to Gay Community Can Pay Dividends to Hotels, she states, "marketing to the gay and lesbian community is a priority for many hoteliers." Parets continues by explaining that by "positioning their brands within the gay and lesbian market can lead to big business." (Parets, 2005).

What Parets means by "big business" is that the gay and lesbian population has accounted for over ten percent of all United States travelers in 2004. Further, this population has and spent over fifty-four million dollars on travel alone. Finally, this population tends to travel more than other traveling populations because, according to Parets, they have a "generally higher discretionary income(s) and more flexibility (in their) schedules." With these numbers, the potential for profit is substantial, thus making marketing to gay and lesbians "big business." (Parets, 2005).

IV. How to Market to the Gay and Lesbian Population

In his book Pink Tourism: Holidays for Gay Men and Lesbians, author Howard L. Hughes reviews specific strategies for marketing to the gay and lesbian population. For example, in the chapter regarding marketing a hotel, Hughes focuses on how hotel managers can market and provide desired services to the gay and lesbian traveling niche. In it, he provides the hotel manager a step-by-step guide to how to run a successful marketing campaign aimed at attracting the gay and lesbian population, including sound advice on how to operate a hotel that caters to the needs of gay and lesbian travelers. (Hughes, 2006).

Hughes also focuses on how politics and other issues effect the gay and lesbian travel market and what a hotel manager can do to successful market to and serve all populations at the same time. Here Hughes' point is that all too often marketing to the gay and lesbian population seems like a Catch-22. On one hand you may gain a paying client, but on the other you run the risk of loosing a heterosexual client who has moral issues with gay and lesbian people. In this book, Hughes does a thorough job at discussing how to successfully manage this delicate balance. (Hughes, 2006).