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Internet Travel Monitor - Marketing & Research
November 21, 2007
Gay & Lesbian Online Travel
NEW YORK, NY - The Gay, Lesbian Bisexual & Transgender (GLBT) market, particularly gay males, has been an attractive segment for the travel industry for some time.
Data indicate that the GLBT market has a greater amount of disposable income and discretionary time on their hands than the straight population, so they can afford and enjoy travel more often.
The Travel Institute estimates the US travel market at $1.3 trillion.
Working on the assumption that the GLBT community makes up 5% to 7% of the population (6.8% as measured by Witeck-Combs), this translates to GLBT travel spending of $65 billion at the low end and $91 billion at the high. The US Travel Industry Association (TIA) actually pegs GLBT travel at 10% of travel industry spending.
eMarketer estimates US online leisure and unmanaged business travel sales in 2006 at $78.8 billion. Of this number, eMarketer estimates that GLBTs make up 8% of online travel sales, or $6.3 billion in 2006.
GLBT individuals book more online travel than the general population, partly because Internet penetration is higher among GLBTs.
Gay and lesbian travelers spent a median of approximately $6,300 (8% of household income) on travel last year, about $1,250 per trip, according to a Community Marketing survey.
Respondents also took a median of five overnight trips in the last 12 months, comprising two leisure, two personal and one business trip. Respondents spent a median of 15 nights in a hotel during the last year.
American Airlines and the Kimpton hotel group won the best airline and best hotel group, respectively, in PlanetOut's 2007 travel awards.
Both these companies set the benchmark in terms of respectfully communicating with the GLBT community. The award citation also noted a genuine commitment to understanding and supporting the GLBT community.
Copyright 2007 eMarketer Inc. All rights
reserved. From http://www.emarketer.com. By Ben Macklin.
To view the Internet Travel Monitor Archive, click http://www.tripinfo.com/ITM/index.html.
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