Travel Niches: Gay & Lesbian Travel
by John Hawks

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While many older gay men in these surveys travel as couples, younger gay men may opt for cruises or gay-friendly tours built around single travelers. On the other hand, many lesbian households have children and tend to have less money to spend on vacations on average. (Also, lesbian travelers sometimes opt for "off the shelf" tours from traditional tour companies, whereas gay men may seldom choose that type of standard trip.)

Where do gay and lesbian travelers go? While traditional North American gay-friendly destinations - Key West, Hawaii, Palm Springs, Provincetown (Mass.) - still attract a big following, you'll find today that your clients in this market want to see the world outside these traditional getaways.

Keep these tips in mind as you consider this new niche:

Your first step is education. Join groups like the the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, or check sites like Community Marketing. Also, you should consider taking a course like the Travel Institute's Gay & Lesbian Travel specialist training.

Form alliances within your local or regional lesbian and gay community. For example, can you partner with the organizers of your city's AIDS fundraising walk to promote trips? Or, could you offer wedding trips via ads in the nearest lesbian and gay newspaper?

Think about gay events that you can promote to local travelers. For example, you'll find people in your area who'd like to travel to the annual Gay Games, or "Gay Day" at Disney each June, or the Aspen Gay Ski Week - as long as you make the arrangements simple for them.

Don't expect miracles overnight. Like most niches, you must work this market with perseverance and energy. If you stay the course, you'll earn the loyalty of local gay and lesbian travelers - and, ironically, they'll appreciate your personal service and expertise more than other travelers who're simply looking for the cheapest cruise prices!

Want to share your success story in cracking the gay and lesbian market (or any other travel niche)? Send us an email and let us know how you did it!