Gay travel and LGBTQ travel-trends
We’ve known that gay travel is in in the gay man’s DNA, but you might be surprised by Grindr’s recent study that revealed 40% of its LGBTQ users travel four times a year and 24% plan a vacation every month.
A whole lotta gay travel pixx
While those stats may be great for Instagram pictures, how does our spending ($100 billion dollars in total) affect our financial security? And how can we use our tourism dollars to promote inclusiveness around the globe?
Hear how gay travel is affecting your queer money on Queer Money™:
Meet Zach Stafford of Grindr
Zach Stafford is the editor-in-chief of Grindr’s online magazine, INTO. He leads a newsroom of more than 200 contributing writers with the intention of talking about the world ‘through a queer lens.’ Prior to joining Grindr, Zach served as a reporter and columnist for The Guardian and Out Magazine.
Zach shares the WHY behind the Grindr travel study and several key takeaways. He offers his take on why the LGBTQ community is drawn to travel and how queer tourism can help drive inclusiveness all over the world. Zach discusses the power of the pink dollar and safe gay travel in countries that lack legal protections.
Topics covered about gay travel
Why Grindr conducted a gay travel study
- Learn about users, optimize content
- App part of travel experience
The key takeaways from Grindr’s study
- 40% of users travel quarterly, 24% monthly
- Queer population spends almost $100B on travel
How queer tourism can help drive acceptance
- Transfer hope to countries working for change
Why the LGBTQ community is drawn to travel
- Seek people like us, find own space
- Starts as escape, desire for adventure
The top destinations in the Grindr study
- Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Japan
- Las Vegas and NYC
Zach’s take on music festivals as the next big thing
- Place to suspend reality
- Fall into music, art and culture
Zach’s insight on safe travel for the LGBTQ community
- Sodomy laws remain in 70 countries
- Jamaica, Russia, Ghana and Egypt
How tourism dollars can make areas more inclusive
- Tel Aviv moving in right direction
- Anti-trans legislation in NC
- $5T global spending power
The issue of paying a premium for LGBTQ-friendliness
- 40% of respondents would not
- 60% willing to pay 1-6% more
- Real-world activism with pink dollars
Brand loyalty among the LGBTQ community
- Brands only focus 4-5% of marketing on LGBTQ consumers
- Half of LGBTQ consumers respond to authentic marketing
The conflict between LGBTQ travel and financial security
- ‘Financial procrastination’ fueled by focus on now
- 50% of surveyed spent 11-25% of income on travel
Zach’s insight on gay apps in the lodging space
- Misterb&b dominates industry
- May be integrating section for women
Zach’s take on the future of travel, dating tech
- Intuitive apps that serve as assistant
What’s new at Grindr
- Launch of Explore (see people in location before travel)
- INTO working to become go-to for queer news
Zach’s advice around making real connections
- More connected than ever, yet feel more alone
- Be present when connecting with someone