Top Gay Travel Destinations Announced
New York City and London are top destinations among American gay and lesbian travelers, according to the 12th Annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Survey conducted by Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI). Canada, where gay marriage is legal, dominates the international list with three of the top 10 destinations.
All of the top-ranked US cities either have an active LGBT marketing campaign supported by the visitors bureau, or host a very large LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) event, which is often a catalyst for gay visibility and tourism. “New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles have retained their current ranking for the past three years,” explained Jerry McHugh, Senior Research Director at Community Marketing, and the study’s architect. “However, the number of LGBT visitorsto smaller destinations, such as Fort Lauderdale and Palm Springs, has aneven greater impact on the area’s tourism than in a larger city,” he added.
7,561 LGBT consumers completed Community Marketing’s 12th Annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Survey, a fifteen-minute online questionnaire, in the 27-day period from Wednesday, September 5, 2007 to Monday, October 1,2007. Respondents were recruited from CMI’s list of over 40,000 gay and lesbian consumers, derived over the pastdecade through announcements in LGBT newspapers, magazines and websites, and at events. It is the largest consumer survey of its kind.
6,764 of these respondents reside in the United States, which comprise the findings summarized below.
MOST-VISITED US DESTINATIONS
(at least one overnight stay by a non-resident)
Rank, Destination, % who visited in the last 12 months
1. New York City, NY 16.0%
2. Las Vegas, NV 14.3%
3. San Francisco, CA 12.9%
4. Los Angeles/West Hollywood, CA 11.9%
5. Ft. Lauderdale/Wilton Manors, FL 10.5%
6. Palm Springs, CA 10.1%
7. Chicago, IL 9.2%
8. San Diego, CA 8.8%
9. Washington, DC 8.6%
10. Miami/ South Beach, FL (tie) 8.2%
10. Orlando, FL (tie) 8.2%
“Community Marketing’s studies are unique in the tourism industry,” McHugh said. “Other studies try to rank gay friendliness or popularity, but this study actually quantifies the bottom line: Where did gay and lesbian consumers go and spend their money?”
MOST-VISITED INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
(at least one overnight stay by a non-resident)
Rank, Destination, % who visited in the last 12 months
1. London 8.4%
2. Puerto Vallarta 7.6%
3. Paris 6.2%
4. Vancouver 6.1%
5. Montreal 5.9%
6. Toronto 5.6%
7. US Virgin Islands 5.1%
8. Cancun 5.0%
9. Puerto Rico 4.8%
10. Rome 4.7%
Respondents indicated that they chose leisure destinations because friends recommended them, they offer unique attractions, and are known for their gay-friendliness. “Clearly, when destinations show gay and lesbian visitors a good time, that is the best advertising investment they can make,” said McHugh. “Word of mouth marketing is very powerful among the gay and lesbian community. It’s not enough to slap a rainbow on an ad and call it a day. The most successful destinations work with their tourism and hospitality partners to earn that kind of loyalty and referral. This is accomplished through education, training, and offering a genuinely gay-welcoming social and political atmosphere.”
“For years, London has consistently marketed itself to the LGBT community,” said Martine Ainsworth-Wells, Marketing Director, Visit London. “In addition, the city supports its active LGBT community and has welcomed high profile events such as Pride and the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. By marketing to the LGBT community abroad and supporting our LGBT community at home, London is now recognized as the gay capital of the world.”
Respondents took a median of five overnight trips in the twelve months preceding the survey. 94% of respondents spent at least one night in a hotel during the past year, with a median of 14 nights. 86% traveled by commercial airline at least one time during the year, with a median of 6 flights.
Survey results will be presented at Community Marketing’s 8th International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism, December 2-5, 2007, in Fort Lauderdale.
