News
2006-12-12
Survey reveals
top "gay-friendly" destinations
San Francisco was
named the top ''gay-friendly'' destination in a new
survey of gay travelers conducted by the Travel Industry
San Francisco was
named the top ''gay-friendly'' destination in a new
survey of gay travelers conducted by the Travel Industry
Association. Following San Francisco on the list's top
10 were Key West, Fla.; New York City; Fire Island,
which is part of Long Island in New York;
Provincetown, Mass.; Los Angeles; Miami-South Beach, Fla.;
Las Vegas; New Orleans; and Palm Springs–Palm
Desert, Calif.
The national
survey was conducted by the Travel Industry Association in
partnership with Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs
Communications.
Nearly half of
gay and lesbian travelers said that whether a destination
has a ''gay-friendly'' reputation matters when they are
making leisure travel choices. A place where ''they
can hold their partner's hand in public'' without fear
of harassment was cited as an example of something
that more than half of gay men and more than two thirds of
gay women look for when they are choosing a
destination, according to the survey.
Bob Witeck, CEO
of Witeck-Combs Communications, said the survey showed
that gay and lesbian travelers are not looking for special
treatment but are simply ''expecting consideration and
equal respect given all customers.''
Four out of 10
gay and lesbian travelers also said they consider a
destination gay-friendly if it ''is known to be culturally
welcoming and to support diversity'' and gay rights.
Only a third of gay men and 18% of lesbians cited
''gay nightlife, gay clubs and bars'' among their top
considerations for gay-friendliness.
The national
online survey was conducted among 2,020 self-identified gay
travelers 21 and older who have taken at least one leisure
trip within the past 12 months. The survey also polled
1,010 adults who self-identified as heterosexual and
who also have taken at least one leisure trip in the
past year.
The heterosexual
travelers were included as a way to compare the two
groups. The survey found, for example, that gay men tend to
spend more on trips than lesbians and heterosexuals.
(AP)
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