Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - (Page 50)

TOURS TAPPING INTO TRAVEL AGENTS SEEKING NEW, LUCRATIVE marketing opportunities should take a look at the gay and lesbian travel market. According to new gay-specific Community Marketing Inc. (CMI; www.communitymar ketinginc.com) research, gay and lesbian travelers make up 5 to 10 percent or more of the travel industry. “Most critically,” CMI analysis says, “their travel dollars go to suppliers and destinations that recognize their unique buying preferences and offer them differentiated value.” The annual economic impact of gay and lesbian travelers is approximately $70.3 billion in the U.S. alone—or a conservative 5 percent of the U.S. tourism industry, San Francisco-based CMI says. The size and potential of the market are among the reasons why key travel suppliers, such as Travel Impressions (www.travelimpressions. com), a major wholesaler, recently launched programs targeting the gay and lesbian market. The Gay and Lesbian Market Association (IGLTA; www.iglta.org). The goal: cooperation on a variety of marketing, education and research opportunities. “Tour operators are IGLTA’s second-largest membership category and we want to support their business,” says IGLTA Executive Director John Tanzella. “Partnering with NTA gives us an opportunity to reach out to this very important segment of the travel industry.” “NTA believes strongly in bringing the industry together for the better of travel and tourism, as well as for increasing business for our members,” says newly elected NTA Chairman and CEO Michele Michalewicz. “This new agreement will open new doors for NTA members by connecting them with the progressive IGLTA membership and expertise.” IGLTA was founded in 1983 and now has 1,800 members. It provides a host of resources to travel agents and the industry that serve the gay and lesbian market. IGLTA has members in 55 countries, including accommodations, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, tourism offices, media and other key players in the tourism industry. The deal with the NTA parallels an agreement with ASTA (www.asta.org), announced in 2005. ASTA offers a certification course on the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) market, as does The Travel Institute (www. travelinstitute.com). already looking forward to the celebration of the Gay Games VIII Cologne in July 2010 (www.games-cologne.com). About 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries are expected to converge on the city for the event. What It Spells for Agents This all adds up to a well-defined market that takes much of the guesswork out of sales and promotion. CMI notes that the market includes both business and leisure travel to international and domestic U.S. destinations. The GLBT market is also a repeat travel market with its own niches. It’s also resilient and includes upscale luxury tours, special events and cruises. If there is a challenge for travel agents, it is communicating the value of the services they can provide to consumers. Statistics show that half of GLBT leisure travel is now booked directly with the travel supplier, CMI reports, while 37 percent is booked through a travel website (such as Travelocity or Orbitz), eight percent with travel agents, and five percent with tour operators. Twenty-one percent of business trips were booked with a travel agent, with other methods proportionally reduced. Word-of-mouth recommendations are very important, as is confidence that travel agents are knowledgeable about selling a “gay-friendly” property. Experts in the market agree that breaking into this market is getting increasingly competitive and that agents must do their homework before they promote their capabilities. The good news? A lot of free expertise is available that provides a solid starting point to enter this dynamic market—all backed by quality suppliers and associations. —GEORGE DOOLEY Helping Agents Tap In “When developing this program, we paid close attention to the data and trends in the gay and lesbian travel market. By doing so, we were able to make informed choices about the features we would offer, such as providing a website where consumers could browse but not book, saving that for the travel agent, and creating a gay-friendly verified product line that could be booked with confidence,” says John Hanratty, chief marketing officer of Travel Impressions. “Through the Gay & Lesbian Travel program, we help agents tap into a growing market that they might find too challenging to enter without support.” Travel Impressions is not alone in recognizing the importance of the market. Earlier this month, the National Tour Association (NTA) (www.ntaonline.com) announced a partnership with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel 50 | TravelAgent January 19, 2009 Germany’s Efforts Suppliers and destinations are also active in attracting GLBT travelers. The German National Tourist Office (www.germany-tourism.de), for example, recently dedicated a section of its website to GLBT travelers at a new mini portal within its www.cometogermany.com site. Gay life is deeply integrated into German culture; Christopher Street Day parades are on many cities’ agendas for 2009 while others are CONNECTING YOU Need help booking gay and lesbian clients? Visit www.travelagentcentral.com/gay-lesbian http://www.iglta.org http://www.games-cologne.com http://www.communitymarketinginc.com http://www.communitymarketinginc.com http://www.travelimpressions.com http://www.travelimpressions.com http://www.asta.org http://www.travelinstitute.com http://www.travelinstitute.com http://www.germany-tourism.de http://www.cometogermany.com http://www.ntaonline.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/gay-lesbian

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - January 19, 2009

Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 Contents A New Direct Route from New York to Atlantic City Might Help Casinos New Villas from CuisinArt, Controversy from the CTO and Pages from Hemingway in Cuba From the Editor New Zealand: These Lodges and Farms Offer Intimacy and Luxury Pacific/Asia: Mumbai's Damaged Hotels Reopen After Tragedy Alaska: Alaska Commemorates 50 Years of Statehood with Cruise Packages for Your Clients Las Vegas: Tips for Agents on Demystifying Deals Speaking of Deals, Here are Some Great Ones for Vegas Mexico: Get to Know Some of the Finest Properties in Cancun Caribbean: Political Change Might Make Travel to Cuba a Reality Sandals' Star Awards Cruises: Luxury Cruise Share Insider Advice Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back Luxury Travel Expo: The 10th Anniversary of this Event Was One to Remember Tours: Tapping into the Gay and Lesbian Market JoyStar Collapse May Involve More Agents and Higher Losses Marriott's Spirit of Aloha Tour Rolls Along the West Coast Cruise Lines Continue to Pour Dollars into Advertising Small Business Resources Can Help Your Agency Stay Afloat Editorial Index Advertising Index

Travel Agent - January 19, 2009

Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 (Page Cover1) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 (Page Cover2) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 (Page 1) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Contents (Page 3) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Contents (Page 4) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - A New Direct Route from New York to Atlantic City Might Help Casinos (Page 6) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - A New Direct Route from New York to Atlantic City Might Help Casinos (Page 7) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - New Villas from CuisinArt, Controversy from the CTO and Pages from Hemingway in Cuba (Page 8) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - New Villas from CuisinArt, Controversy from the CTO and Pages from Hemingway in Cuba (Page 9) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 10) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 11) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 12) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 13) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 14) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 15) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - New Zealand: These Lodges and Farms Offer Intimacy and Luxury (Page 16) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - New Zealand: These Lodges and Farms Offer Intimacy and Luxury (Page 17) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Pacific/Asia: Mumbai's Damaged Hotels Reopen After Tragedy (Page 18) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Pacific/Asia: Mumbai's Damaged Hotels Reopen After Tragedy (Page 19) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Alaska: Alaska Commemorates 50 Years of Statehood with Cruise Packages for Your Clients (Page 20) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Alaska: Alaska Commemorates 50 Years of Statehood with Cruise Packages for Your Clients (Page 21) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Las Vegas: Tips for Agents on Demystifying Deals (Page 22) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Speaking of Deals, Here are Some Great Ones for Vegas (Page 23) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Speaking of Deals, Here are Some Great Ones for Vegas (Page 24) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Speaking of Deals, Here are Some Great Ones for Vegas (Page 25) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Mexico: Get to Know Some of the Finest Properties in Cancun (Page 26) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Mexico: Get to Know Some of the Finest Properties in Cancun (Page 27) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Mexico: Get to Know Some of the Finest Properties in Cancun (Page 28) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Mexico: Get to Know Some of the Finest Properties in Cancun (Page 29) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Caribbean: Political Change Might Make Travel to Cuba a Reality (Page 30) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Caribbean: Political Change Might Make Travel to Cuba a Reality (Page 31) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Caribbean: Political Change Might Make Travel to Cuba a Reality (Page 32) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Caribbean: Political Change Might Make Travel to Cuba a Reality (Page 33) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Sandals' Star Awards (Page 34) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Sandals' Star Awards (Page 35) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cruises: Luxury Cruise Share Insider Advice (Page 36) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cruises: Luxury Cruise Share Insider Advice (Page 37) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cruises: Luxury Cruise Share Insider Advice (Page 38) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cruises: Luxury Cruise Share Insider Advice (Page 39) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 40) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 41) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 42) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 43) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 44) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cover Story: Bringing Europe Back (Page 45) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Luxury Travel Expo: The 10th Anniversary of this Event Was One to Remember (Page 46) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Luxury Travel Expo: The 10th Anniversary of this Event Was One to Remember (Page 47) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Luxury Travel Expo: The 10th Anniversary of this Event Was One to Remember (Page 48) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Luxury Travel Expo: The 10th Anniversary of this Event Was One to Remember (Page 49) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Tours: Tapping into the Gay and Lesbian Market (Page 50) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - JoyStar Collapse May Involve More Agents and Higher Losses (Page 51) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Marriott's Spirit of Aloha Tour Rolls Along the West Coast (Page 52) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Cruise Lines Continue to Pour Dollars into Advertising (Page 53) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Small Business Resources Can Help Your Agency Stay Afloat (Page 54) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Editorial Index (Page 55) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Advertising Index (Page 56) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Advertising Index (Page Cover3) Travel Agent - January 19, 2009 - Advertising Index (Page Cover4) 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