Gay travelers find Canada a hot destination

24 June, 2007:

Gay travelers spent an average of $1,166 per trip in Canada in 2006, almost double what ‘straight’ travelers spent. They also find Canada on the top if their hot destinations to travel to.

A study released by the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has revealed that gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender travelers spent a total of $5.4 billion in Canada in 2006.

The study indicated that gay travelers are almost twice as likely to go on leisure trips as the general public.

It also found that 83% of gay travelers believe that Canada is a place that “goes out of its way” to welcome gay tourists. Canada was ranked highly along with the Netherlands, Australia, Britain and France.

Canada’s first lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified (LGBT) travel study, conducted by the Bay Charles Consulting Company, surveyed Canadian LGBT travelers through early 2007. When compared to the general travel market, the following features were found:

* LGBT travelers spend nearly twice as much per trip ($1,166 vs. $627) as their ‘straight’ counterparts.
* LGBT travelers are almost twice as likely to go on vacation or leisure trips than the general public.
* LGBT travelers are more likely to travel in the winter (23% of trips occurring during this time-frame compared to 14% of the general public).