Assessing Gay Men and Lesbian Women's Hotel Experiences: An Exploratory Study of Sexual Orientation in the Travel Industry

Abstract

This study examines the hotel experiences of gay men and lesbians, using qualitative interviews of 54 self-identified lesbians and gay men in the United Kingdom and Israel. The findings show that participants are highly affected by the symbolic meanings they assign to specific elements of the hotel experience. Results indicate that it is important for gay men and lesbians to feel accepted and welcome when their sexual orientation is known. Specifically, they wish to be treated in the same way they believe heterosexuals are treated. Critical elements of the hotel experience focus on the behavior of hotel staff, hotel attributes, and the environment of the hotel. The findings may assist in shaping service provision for, and service delivery to, lesbians and gay men.

Consumer behaviour in tourism: Concepts, influences and opportunities

“…Despite gay tourism representing a rapidly growing business opportunity for some destinations, both earlier (Clift & Forrest, 1999) and more recent studies (Melián-González et al, 2011) point out that research on this type of tourism is limited. Poria (2006), for instance, whose study examines the hotel experiences of gay and lesbian guests, notes little attention has been paid to the on-site tourism experiences of the gay and lesbian population. Hughs and Deutsch (2010) further emphasise that the gay market is not homogenous, but rather comprises sub-niches and accordingly explored factors of age and sexual orientation in the context of older gay men's holiday choice decisions.…”

Tourist Activity of LGBT in European Post-Communist States: the Case of Poland

“…Moreover, according to Hughes (2005), when homosexual tourists choose their holiday destination, they are likely to take more factors into account than heterosexual tourists, such as the presence of gay space, the opportunity for socializing with other homosexuals and gay friendliness. The available scientific studies concerning tourist motivations of the LGBT community are characterized by a significant diversification regarding the place where the research is carried out, among others a sample of British gays (Clift, Forrest, 1999), gay and lesbian residents in Wales and the Netherlands and their holiday choices (Pritchard et al, 2000), the hotel experiences of gays and lesbians in the UK and in Israel (Poria, 2006), valuable resources for gay tourists in Gran Canaria (Melián-González et al, 2011). Scientific studies also highlight other aspects, e.g.…”

A review of gay and lesbian parented families’ travel motivations and destination choices: gaps in research and future directions

“…During the decision-making process, places perceived as homophobic (hostile or unfriendly to gay men and lesbians) may be systematically ruled out (Rapp 2010). These risks may affect not only the destination choices of gay men and lesbians but also their behaviour while on holiday, impacting on their feeling of safety and impairing social interaction with locals and other tourists (Poria 2006a). They can also cause anxiety if forced to come out to strangers.…”

“…Such findings are echoed in literature about lesbian and gay leisure choices, with Skeggs (1999) affirming lesbians feel more vulnerable than gay men even when going to gay-friendly destinations since the gay space is predominantly masculine. Conversely, gay men were specifically found to feel unsafe in the presence of other people's children (Poria 2006a). …”