Long
thought to be low on the pink radar for gay travelers Las Vegas has
been aggressively courting the LGBT market and it appears to be paying
off.
A recent study by Community Marketing, Inc., a San
Francisco-based market research company that focuses on the LGBT market,
shows that 25 percent of the 4,000 gays and lesbians surveyed traveled
to Las Vegas in 2005.
It makes Vegas second only to New York, where 30 percent had visited.
San Francisco ranked third, with 24 percent.
Las
Vegas hosted a total of 37.4 million visitors in 2004 and that number
is estimated to increase to a record-breaking 38 million in 2005.
About ten per cent of that is estimated to be gay.
In
upcoming campaigns, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
(LVCVA) plans to punctuate its marketing programs with the launch of a
new multi-faceted campaign specifically targeting the gay and lesbian
traveler.
"Millions of gay and lesbian travelers are drawn to Las
Vegas each year because they crave the Las Vegas experience," says
Terry Jicinsky, senior vice president of marketing, LVCVA.
"The
fact Las Vegas beat out San Francisco, which was once thought of as the
preferred destination for this market, shows Las Vegas is making great
strides in attracting a diverse audience."
Jicinsky points to
Las Vegas' growing reputation as one of the world's most exciting
destinations with world-class dining and shopping, unparalleled
entertainment and top golf courses and spas.
Vegas offers a
multitude of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including the hottest
gourmet restaurants by celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay, Hubert
Keller, Rick Moonen and Daniel Boulud, as well as unparalleled
headliners and productions year-round such as "MAMMA MIA!" at Mandalay
Bay, "Jubilee!" at Bally's and Celine Dion's "A New Day ... " and Elton
John's "The Red Piano," both at Caesars Palace's Colosseum.
When
it comes to nightlife, Vegas' offerings for gay and lesbian travelers
are just as impressive. KRAVE, the newest upscale gay and lesbian
nightlife experience on the Strip, opened late 2004 with an incredible
response from gay tourists and locals alike.
Las Vegas annually
welcomes one of the largest gay and lesbian pride festivals in the West,
"Viva Las Vegas" which delivers dance parties, top-name entertainment
and more set against the glittering Las Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas
is home to Blue Moon Resort, a gay-owned hotel and property designed
with the gay traveler in mind, and Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel,
gay-owned-and-operated, bed-and-breakfast and wedding chapel that offers
union ceremonies by an Elvis impersonator in the back of his legendary
pink Cadillac.
"Las Vegas attracts gay and lesbian visitors
primarily for its wide variety of entertainment offerings, as well as
for its gaming, architecture, dining, shopping and fun atmosphere," said
Thomas Roth, president, Community Marketing.
"As the LVCVA
increases its 'gay welcoming' communications, according to focus group
participants, it will become even more popular for first-time and repeat
visitors from the gay community."
The American gay and lesbian
community represents a $65 billion travel market in the United States,
amounting to about 5 percent of the annual $1.3 trillion U.S. travel
industry, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.
Recent
studies by Community Marketing Inc., however, indicate that gay and
lesbian travel and tourism represents a far larger percentage of the
overall travel market. Community Marketing, Inc. used online and field
research to survey more than 4,000 gays and lesbians worldwide.
Those
surveyed answered questions on subjects ranging from the duration of
their typical hotel stay to their preferred activities during vacations
and weekend getaways and how factors such as a gay-friendly environment
influence their travel plans.
*by 365Gay.com Travel
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