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Spanish travel sector eyes gay market
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The United Nations World Tourism Organization said in a recent report that "there is no denying that the gay segment is dynamic and influential”. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he Spanish travel sector is gearing up to cater to gay tourists who are inclined to spend more money than most when they are on vacation.
This notion was emphasized at Madrid’s Fitur Tourism Fair that ended on Sunday.
For instance, Extremadura in West Spain highlighted the annual gay pride celebrations in the city of Badajoz, which were sparked off because of homophobic remarks from a local politician.
As reported by AFP, Extremadura's tourism promotion agency hopes to increase the number of gay and lesbian tourists with children. Furthermore, “volume” is of prime interest to the agency as lesbians and gays make up 10 percent of all tourists.
For the most part, this market is targeted because of its flexibility, as homosexuals tend to travel all year round because they are not stymied by school holidays.
Juan Pedro Tudeal, the director of Diversity Consulting International adds that “they have more disposable income since there are fewer couples with children."
(Read also: Bangkok to hold first gay pride parade in 11 years)
The United Nations World Tourism Organization said in a recent report that "there is no denying that the gay segment is dynamic and influential”.
Up to 150 million euros (US$161 million) was taken in from gay pride festivities in Spain last summer. Even more proceeds are expected to be earned this year as 3 million people are predicted to participate in Madrid’s World Pride Parade in late June and early July.
Meanwhile, unique offers have been tailored to the needs of the gay segment for this time of year by Iberia airline and several hotels in Spain. Moreover, many cruises, vacation clubs and bungalows are also being prepared for the gay market.
However, Thomas Bomkes of Diversity Tourism opines that it can be challenging to attract this target group because gays and lesbians sometimes neglect special offers. According to US marketing firm Community Marketing, this is because homosexuals value “location” and “price-quality relationship” factors more than the “gay-friendly” aspects of a package deal. (nik/kes)
