US tour operators targeting the gay and lesbian market

Compared with the UK there is less need in the USA for the inclusive holiday abroad when seeking sun and sea, as there are many domestic destinations that meet that need. Many holidays offered by US tour operators targeting the gay and lesbian market are small-group, special-interest holidays. These are arranged for groups of usually between two and twenty people and cover the ‘usual’ range of special-interest holidays including cultural, heritage, safari, adventure, activity and sport in the USA, but also in countries such as Vietnam, Nepal, Bolivia, Peru, Tibet and the Pacific islands. The programmes of US tour operators are therefore probably less representative of popular gay and lesbian destinations. Out West Global Adventures, for instance, includes in its programme Grand Canyon rafting, biking in Burgundy, trekking in Nepal and Tibet, Gay Ski Week in Aspen, ranching in Montana and safari in South Africa (http://www.outwestadventures.com). Hanns Ebensten Travel has a programme that includes the Gobi Desert and the Silk Road (China), the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island (Pacific). Many are destination-only packages in that travel (usually air) is left to customers to arrange, though may be arranged by the operator on request.

The largest tour operators in the US are those that offer cruises. Atlantis and Olivia both have programmes of cruises that are aimed primarily at gays and lesbians, respectively. Their itineraries are little different from those of the rest of the cruise market and are chiefly Caribbean-based, typically with departures from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Alaskan and Mediterranean cruises are also offered, though the latter usually feature a mix of cultural visits such as Florence and Athens and gay destinations such as Ibiza and Mykonos. Atlantis’ Mexican coast cruise focuses on Mexico’s ‘best beaches’, including Puerto Vallarta. Both Atlantis and Olivia also feature all-gay or all-lesbian weeks at resorts reserved for exclusive use, usually in the Caribbean or Mexico. Gays and lesbians, at least in the USA, appear to be particularly keen on cruise holidays: 20% of gays and lesbians have taken at least one cruise in the previous 12 months compared with a national average of 2% (Community Marketing, 2003). Most of the larger operators targeting the market operate cruises on an exclusively gay and lesbian basis. Cruises for men have more of a party atmosphere about them than do the women’s cruises; up to 80% of Olivia’s clients are couples (Trucco, 2004). Romance Voyages targets ‘sophisticated couples’ who are not interested in the party scene. Most of their cruises are in small ships and have a particular emphasis on excursions to cultural sites. A European cruise in 2004, for instance, included Budapest, Vienna, Cologne and Amsterdam. RSVP claims to be the oldest gay tour operator, having organized its first cruise in 1986. Each of its cruises has between 200 and 2000 (male) clients, with on-board entertainment a particular draw.

Atlantis considers that it is the ‘largest gay and lesbian tour operator in the world’, though its business is more than just cruises and includes a Kenyan safari and holidays in Las Vegas. In all, it has more than 12,000 clients annually. Its cruise clients are younger than those of RSVP – mostly male – and cruises typically include theme pool parties and night-time entertainment, as well as shore excursions. A west coast cruise to the ‘best of Mexico’ focused on visits to five Pacific beaches, including Puerto Vallarta. Their January–February 2005 Caribbean cruise was advertised as ‘the largest gay cruise in history’ on the world’s largest cruise ship: they intended to carry 3200 passengers. Part of Atlantis’ product offer is a full programme at the 2005 Sydney Mardi Gras of accommodation, tickets for parties and grandstand seats for the parade, not including airfares. It also operates Club Atlantis resorts: an entire beach resort is taken over for a week for an exclusively gay vacation, including accommodation, meals, drinks, nightly entertainment, parties and optional sports such as snorkelling, windsurfing and sailing with instruction. In 2005, it was held at a resort (Mexico’s ‘hottest vacation destination’) just south of Cancún (Mexico). This concept has been replicated by the UK operator, Alternative Holidays.

The cruise operator Olivia, which focuses on the lesbian market, also offers a programme of activity holidays including biking, walking, rafting, kayaking and hiking in places such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the Rockies. Whilst Atlantis and Olivia charter cruise ships for the exclusive use of gays and lesbians, Pied Piper (USA) organizes luxury cruises for gay groups on existing cruises, most of which have been on the QE2. They include a welcome party, private dining tables and private group excursions.

R Family Vacations is a recent addition (2004) to the cruise scene. This organization was established to offer vacations for gay and lesbian families with children, with a particular object of facilitating children meeting other children in similar family units. The first cruise (in 2004) had 1700 clients and was considered a success, despite being met by a church group protest in Nassau. For the future, small tours, ski vacations, fishing trips and safaris are planned. Olivia also introduced a family vacation in the form of a resort vacation at Club Med near west Palm Beach in 2003.