Mexico City’s recent decision to become a center for gay marriages exemplifies a trend, says Peter Tarlow in his “Tourism Tidbits.”
Some tourism destinations say they have avoided this market known as GLBT — meaning gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and or transgender.
“Others see is as a major source of growth and revenue,” says Tourism Tidbits.
These people argue that one’s sexual orientation is not an issue for public discussion and that business is business, he says.
No matter their personal opinions, however, the simple fact of the GLBT market is that “it has become a major growth segment of the travel industry and one that is hard to ignore,” says the site.
For example, research in the US demonstrates that the GLBT traveler spends about US$1000 more on travel vacations than does his/her heterosexual counterpart.
Also, GLBT people tend to take more vacations more often than their heterosexual counterparts.
Recent research also notes that while 61 percent of heterosexuals will seek less expensive activities due to the economy’s downturns, only 51 percent of GLBT intend to do so.
The site advises that not everyone should seek out this market. Communities without at least middle range hotels, for example, may not have the required infrastructure.
By David Wilkening
