Study Shows Companies Fail To Deliver On “Gay Friendly” Promise

Back in July, OGM relayed the horror story one gay couple experienced at a “gay friendly” resort in Cancun.  It should surprise nobody that this incident is far more common than it should be, according to a new study by Out Now Consulting.

The global GLBT consulting firm surveyed 30,000 people across the globe, and found that many hotels and destinations claim to be gay friendly, but do not take the necessary measures to ensure they actually are.  It seems companies are keen to slap the phrase “gay friendly” on advertisements these days without putting a second thought into what the term actually entails.

While it certainly doesn’t invalidate these findings, it should be noted the Out Now press release doesn’t mention any quantitative figures from the study, and the company also has some skin in the game.  Conveniently, Out Now offers GayComfort, an online training and accreditation program for hospitality professionals interested in serving the GLBT community.

World Rainbow Hotels Brings Together Collection of GLBT Friendly Hotels

Never before have agencies and corporate bookers been able to search for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT)-friendly hotels on the GDS (an international travel booking system). They have had to rely solely on travel guides and internet sites to fulfill their GLBT client’s needs.

World Rainbow Hotels is introducing the first ever GLBT-specific rate-codes that will be bookable on the GDS as well as a selection of websites. The World Rainbow Hotels team will be promoting the new rate plans to travel agents and corporate bookers, so that they will be better equipped to offer their clients GLBT-welcoming accommodation, carefully selected through a strict set of criteria.

Mark Lewis, Managing Director at HotelREZ, who is launching the World Rainbow Hotels program, says “It is not enough just to say an establishment is “Gay-welcoming”. GLBT consumers should be able to have reassurance that hotel staff understands their travel concerns and how to meet them.”

Staff at the hotels accepted into World Rainbow Hotels rate program will need to undertake “GayComfort” training online to increase awareness and levels of confidence with requests and situations that they may not be familiar with. GLBT guests will sense this natural confidence and will therefore feel more welcome at the hotels.

Copenhagen Says It’s “Open For Everyone”

Copenhagen, Denmark loves its gays, and the city wants you to come see for yourself.  The Scandinavian city has launched a new ad campaign, called “Open For Everyone,” in order to showcase and celebrate the welcoming and diverse atmosphere of the City of Spires.

To support the campaign the city has introduced a nifty microsite, an LGBT Copenhagen blog, and Twitter and Facebook pages.  The microsite is one of the better ones I’ve come across and integrates well with the VisitDenmark.com website.  On the microsite, visitors can read about GLBT points of interest, see a schedule of gay events, and even create a custom guidebook for their trip to Denmark’s capital.

Mexico City Woos Gay Travelers

Add Mexico City to the long list of locations targeting gay tourist dollars.  The city has opened an office aimed at catering to gay tourists – the first of its kind in Latin America.  According to Alejandro Rojas, the city’s secretary of tourism, the office’s opening is part of a bigger push to make Mexico City into the most gay-friendly Latin American city.

“We are a very tolerant, liberal, avant-garde city,” says Rojas.  ”We hope that many same-sex couples who get married around the world spend their honeymoons here.”

In addition to training local hotels and restaurants on how to be sensitive to gay clientele, officials say they hope to create maps of the city highlighting attractions for gay tourists and possibly host an international gay tourism conference.  Hotels, restaurants and businesses in Mexico City have responded positively to the program so far, reports Rojas.

Gay Travelers Opt For “Private” Resorts

An article from Passport Magazine reports on an interesting trend in the gay travel industry – many GLBT travelers are foregoing cookie-cutter gay-friendly resorts and opting instead to rent private homes with large groups of friends in exotic locales.

From the article:  ”Once upon a time, the only avenues for LGBT travelers to experience a sense of complete freedom on holiday centered around gay-specific cruises, resorts, hotels, or circuit parties, but nowadays that paradigm is shifting as a result of the burgeoning vacation rental market, which now offers a viable alternative for travelers who crave more intimate, bespoke escapes tailored to their specific interests and needs. Many are finally making the connection that renting a private home, villa, or apartment can be a more satisfying way to experience a destination while living like a local.”

Renting a private residence also allows GLBT travelers to avoid nightmare experiences at “gay-friendly” resorts like this.

GayComfort Offers Online Training For Hospitality Professionals

Earlier this week I posted a story about one gay couple’s nightmarish experience at a Mexican resort that was supposed to be “gay-friendly.”  It turns out the Gran Melia resort was anything but gay-friendly, and the staff made it perfectly clear they had no desire to accommodate gay guests.  However, hospitality industry professionals who would like to serve GLBT consumers should check out GayComfort.

GayComfort is an innovative online training, accreditation, and marketing program created by leading GLBT consulting firm Out Now in cooperation with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.  The program is intended for staff at hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies across the world looking to improve the quality of service delivered to the gay and lesbian consumer market.

GayComfort comprises a suite of online training knowledge for staff working in the travel industry worldwide. It covers key areas of gay travel concern such as appropriate terminology, debunking stereotypes and provides practical tips on how staff can make their lesbian and gay customers feel comfortable being themselves.

Amtrak Targets GLBT Community With New Ad Campaign

Amtrak, the government-owned rail company, has announced it will launch a $250,000 multimedia advertising campaign aimed at the GLBT community this summer.  This marks the first time the corporation has targeted the gay community with its advertising efforts.

Says Darlene Abubakar, the director of national advertising for Amtrak, “Most all of the major airlines, hotels and others in the travel and tourism industry target the LGBT market segment.  Amtrak ’s goal is to raise the level of awareness of the benefits of train travel and increase consideration and ridership amongst this segment.”

Amtrak has plans to continue the campaign into the next fiscal year but has not yet finalized its budget.  The corporation allocates about 10 percent of its media budget to diversity initiatives but that amount fluctuates year to year.  Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero says the campaign will include television ads and print ads in GLBT publications.

Expedia.com Launches GLBT Travel Site

Recognizing the buying power of gay travelers, Expedia has launched a mini-site devoted to GLBT travel.  The site, which was launched in association with the International Gay & Lesbian Tourism Association, allows visitors to search from about 500 GLBT-friendly hotels worldwide as well as events, festivals, and nightclubs.  You can tour the site here.

While I commend Expedia for reaching out to the GLBT community, it perplexes me that it took so long to do so.  Orbitz.com has wooed its gay clientele since the company’s inception and has been a corporate model for support of the GLBT community.  Orbitz’ gay website is more user-friendly, and you can click through to it from the Orbitz.com homepage.  On the other hand, Expedia’s gay section is buried within Expedia.com.  Here’s a challenge:  start at the Expedia homepage and try to find the GLBT site.  It took me about 20 minutes to get there.

Despite Expedia’s belatedness, I’m happy to see the company putting forth an effort to accommodate gay travelers.  It’s a smart move, because, as we all know, travel is hugely important to GLBT consumers, and even in difficult economic times, gays will continue to spend on recreational activities.