In this downtrodden economy, the niche travel market for gay and lesbian vacationers is still growing. NY1's Valerie D'Elia filed the following report.
In this down economy, at least one market that has seen growth in the beleaguered tourism industry. Travel directed for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender vacationers is proving to be recession-resistant.
"Gay and lesbian travelers have not been pulling back on travel spending, the number of vacations they are taking or the number of days they are spending on vacation the way the general public is," says Passport Magazine editor Andrew Mersmann.
Data show that a gay couple spends $7,000 on a week's trip, about $2,000 more than their heterosexual counterparts.
Some particularly welcoming LGBT vacation spots include Iceland, with its nightlife and outdoor adventure options, Curacao in the Southern Caribbean and the sexy South American capitals of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
Less-traveled places also also popular for A-list dishing rights.
"You are looking for places that can give you cocktail party cache, that no one else has been to -- Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Maldives and places like that -- that you might not necessarily put together with gay travel," says Mersmann.
Wherever LGBT travelers go, they are looking for a mix of experiences usually laden with luxury.
"There's a large portion of the population that is all about spas. Cuisine seems to be really important, entertainment and night life, theater scene. Live music can be a real draw," says Mersmann.
The weather for an LGBT trip can be either hot or cold, but the biggest turnoff is an intolerant climate.
"We are not going to book a whole lot of travel to Jamaica anytime soon because there is such systemic homophobia and violence against the gay and lesbian community, it's not safe to go there. And you don't want to spend your dollars there," says Mersmann.
The gay community will generally find it smooth sailing onboard cruise ships.
"There are all-gay cruises, and on most of the large cruise ships there tend to be gay groups with specific events, cocktail parties," says Mersmann.
Also, skiing has a small but devout following in the LGBT community, and there are dedicated ski weeks taking place at ski resorts around the world.
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