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1 Since 2001, cities and countries have come out of the closet as gay-friendly. There are many reasons for this gay-friendly phenomenon. However, 9/11 is perhaps one of the top reasons (1,2,3). In the aftermath of 9/11, gay travelers were the first to come back when the hospitality industry needed the business. At a time when the hospitality industry was saying “Thanks for Traveling” in their marketing campaigns to encourage people to start traveling again, gay travelers never stopped traveling. Really was it a surprise? Gay travelers must deal with discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech in their everyday lives. Terrorism is not a deterrent to travel for this group of people. At a time when the industry was suffering for business, gay and lesbians were suddenly the rising stars in travel recovery. A second reason for the historic rise in gay travel was that in this new Millennium gay issues dominate news coverage and the public became sensitized to seeing gay people on television and in marketing campaigns. In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out and brought a gay person into millions of American’s home every week in her sitcom, Ellen. In 2002, America’s favorite daytime talk show host Rosie O’Donnell came out of the closet. In November 2003, The Supreme Court of the United States struck down a Texas sodomy law that punished homosexuals for having deviant sex meaning that it was no longer a crime to have gay sex in the United States (4). (Ironically, one of the case studies that you will read later is from Michael Doughman of Dallas, Texas, the heart of conservative United States). In 2004, the United States presidential campaign was won by the Republicans on the issue of gay marriage (5). In 2005, LOGO, the first national cable television network for the GLBT community made its debut changing the landscape of national cable television forever by shining a spotlight on the GLBT community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A third reason is as simple as that gay people wanted to visit new places and they wanted to feel welcomed (6). Before there was gay tourism marketing campaigns, there were places that were naturally gay-friendly because of their attitude of acceptance of the GLBT community such as perennial favorites, Key West and Provincetown. Both Key West and Provincetown provided an escape from the sometimes conservative lives of travelers that often forced them to be in the closet. These resort towns offered privacy and a vast array of entertainment that engaged the gay sensibilities including drag shows, dancing and nightlclubs. Cities like London, New York City and San Francisco have had enjoyed nearly an exclusive reputation as the gay destinations primarily because of the size of their resident GLBT population and their vast offerings of gay nightlife, arts and culture and jobs. As gay travelers came out, they wanted to see the rest of the world but they wanted to do in on their own terms and be completely comfortable (add source) The fourth reason is that as more and more GLBT people came out of the closet, they are seeking new gay-friendly destinations and gay-friendly travel companies to take them there (7,8). Destinations and airlines would see large groups of people descend on a destination for a gay and lesbian event at a particular time of year. The extraordinary rise in gay travel is very closely linked to the growth in gay and lesbian events such as Gay Days in Disney World in Florida or the Dinah Shore Golf Classic in Palm Springs. When tens of thousands of gay and lesbian people arrive in a destination all at one time, they are going to get noticed. Another phonenomum was the rise in ‘circuit parties’ that sprung up at cities all over the United States in the 1990s. The annual “White Party” in Miami Beach was the genesis of the circuit party started more than 20 years ago. In cities all over the United States, gay parties attracting thousands of gay men sprung up including The Blue Ball in Philadelphia, Black & Blue in Montreal and the Winter Party in Miami Beach. Did I mention that all of these events have one thing in common? They all happen during the off-season. Sixth, is the availability of research from organizations like Community Marketing, Inc., Simmons, Travel Industry of America, Harris Interactive and Weitck-Combs. For the first time, the economic impact of gay travel can be measured and it can be researched. Finally, the extraordinary growth of media outlets to reach the GLBT traveler that make gay tourism marketing campaigns possible (9). Today, there are several gay television networks in the United States; millions of web sites with content of interest to gay and lesbian travelers; thousands of gay and lesbian newspapers around the world; and even mainstream travel television programs are finally covering gay-friendly travel. In fact, The Travel Channel aired its first hour-long gay travel program in 2006. Mark Elderkin, Founder, Gay.com said at a speech at the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) convention in 2006 that the evolution of the gay travel market has been 12 years in the making (10). A brilliant entrepreneur, Mark registered the web domain name, gay.com, well before anyone really understood the power of the Internet. Mark said that gay travel remains a growth market. He credits the rise in gay travel to GLBT people themselves who are no longer invisible and are an active market force. He’s right. The GLBT community is out, vocal and visible. For the very first time, it is possible to mass market to gay and lesbian travelers. In the past, advertising to the gay and lesbian consumer was first done in underground and dare I say then-radical publications. As gay people are increasingly not hiding in the closet but are out and proud (11), so are travel suppliers. They are embracing gay travel and are slowly coming out of the closet. Adding to that, the general pubic are gaining more acceptance of GLBT customers making it more acceptable for companies like Ford to “openly” market to gay customers without alienating other customers. According to the Commercial Closet, a nonprofit that educates advertisers, ad agencies, academics, the media, and consumers for more effective and informed references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in advertising , Over 1000 corporations and 500 ad agencies are represented in the Commercial Closet Ad Library, in categories such as alcohol/spirits, appliances, automotive, beauty, beverages, electronics, fashion, food, footwear, financial services, government, healthcare, media, package goods, restaurants, retail, soft drinks, telecommunications, travel, and more. The Commercial Closet says that American corporations now spend about $232 million annually in gay media and major sponsorships. Between 2000 through 2004 there was a slow build up of destinations coming out. However, 2005 and 2006 were pivotal years in gay tourism with a record number of destinations coming out as gay-friendly at the same time with up to 50 or 60 destinations worldwide with coordinated campaigns (12). Among them are Finland, Spain, Tahiti, and Austria. In 2005, Canada (13) and Boston (14) announced their campaigns followed in 2006 by Visit Florida (15) and Atlanta, Georgia (16). On May 15, 2006, The Canadian Tourism Commission launched its first gay and lesbian advertising campaign by appealing to North American gay couples who were looking to have a same-sex marriage (CTC). In August 2006, The South African Gay and Lesbian Travel Alliance (SAGLTA), an organization that represents selected South African gay-friendly guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, hotels and various travel related products, began its first effort to lure international travelers to South Africa. In October 2006, in Hungary, Budapest’s tourism website started a section to gay and lesbian travelers (United Press International). By 2006, around a dozen cities and countries all over the world began to recognize that same-sex couples have the right to share in the same legal rights as straight married couples. Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom are perhaps the most well-known countries for same-sex marriage rights but even the most conservative cities in religious countries began adding legal protections for same-sex couples, like Mexico City. Once the legal system recognizes a gay and lesbian relationship, it also signals a new market for destinations and for companies (17). Suddenly, it is ok to market to the GLBT community. Gay marriage ceremonies (or same-sex commitment ceremonies as they are also called) bring in gay dollars even for gay honeymoons. Another halo effect of gay marriage is that once the government says it is legal, the gay and lesbian market can become an official category in a business plan, well for smart businesses anyway. Make no mistake, gay tourism changes the world and it will change your company, sometimes in unexpected ways. These are the unexpected outcomes.
What types of trips are gay and lesbians taking? It ranges from weekend getaways and city breaks to food tours or weekends around culture. Outdoor adventure is a huge growth market within the gay community (18). Gay travelers are going to the traditional gay hot spots like Key West, Florida, Provincetown, Massachusetts and Mykonos, Greece. They are also exploring a whole new world of destinations including Vancouver, Canada, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenix, Arizona, Sydney, Australia, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Cape Town, South Africa, Manchester, England and there was even a private charter ship to the South Pole. What does gay tourism marketing all come down? It domes down to this: “People forget that people want to be invited,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (19). “People need to be invited and you do that by choosing imagery that they know is for them, placing it in media that is for them and making a promise of what people can expect all the way through the travel experience. For people who aren’t sure if they are going to be welcomed for who they are, an invitation is definitely needed.” Case Study American Airlines An interview with George Carrancho & Betty Young (20) The Rainbow TeAAm
American Airlines, the granddaddy of savvy gay travel marketing, has more than 15 years experience in the gay travel market. The world’s largest airline, American Airlines, serves 250 cities in 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights operated by American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® airlines. American Airlines is a for-profit company, a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. George and Betty agree on this core principal when it comes to the gay and lesbian market, it has to be a win for the GLBT organization and for American Airlines. American is a for-profit company which means it has to be good for the bottom line, it has to be returned and it has to be measurable. “Our sales and marketing efforts reflect the diversity of our customers, said Betty Young. “Gay customers are loyal to us because of frequent flyer program, American’s global route and our reputation in many communities.” To market the web site, GLBT-focused American Airlines advertisements with ‘gay codes”, either the Human Rights Campaign logo or the rainbow, which were placed on the travel pages of the GLBT community web sites. Also, in a brilliant marketing coup on the grassroots level, American Airlines strategically aligned its business with national and local GLBT organizations and negotiated “an official airline” status with the groups. In addition to building the company’s image as a gay-friendly airline dedicated to the issues and solutions provided by trusted GLBT organizations, the Rainbow TeAAM sales group also generates business for the airline by marketing to the GLBT organization constituency base the Business ExtrAA program, a travel incentive program. The Business ExtrAA program generates business and loyalty for American Airlines by having consumers earn frequent flyer miles on their American Airlines account while at the same time earning miles for their favorite GLBT organization which can use those points for free travel thus saving the organization money. They call it, “effortless philotrophony.” The Business ExtrAA program is a program that is offered to other travelers not just gay travelers. “Why reinvent the wheel, said George. “American Airline products are great, sometimes we just need to fine tune it so the gay traveler knows that we are speaking directly to them. In the end we are all just travelers.” American Airlines had not always enjoyed a stellar gay-friendly reputation, they had to work at it. Like so many companies, one unfortunate incident reinforced the importance of being a gay-friendly airline. In their book, Business Inside Out (Kaplan, 2006), Robert Witeck and Wesley Combs, recount the story that forever changed American Airlines, an airline that today is the very best example of how a company should be. Today, American Airlines consistently gets 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. They were among the first airlines to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policies. American is also the first airline to add protections for transgender employees. The airline was the first to implement same-sex partnership benefits, the same as it offers to married heterosexual employees. American also has a strong and active GLBT employee group called GLEAM. Sources:
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