Resorts Seek to Capitalize on Gay Honeymoons
Gay marriage could mean more revenue for the travel industry as more honeymoons are planned.
With gay marriage becoming legal in New York, some hotels and resorts are trying to capitalize on it with special honeymoon packages.
According to Travel Research Online, gay couples spend 33% more money on their vacations than straight couples.
Some resorts are offering special packages specifically to same sex couples married in New York, such as the Kura Hulanda in the Dutch Carribian Island of Curacao. They are offering free room upgrades to any newlywed gay couple from New York through the end of the year. Jody Deleon, Director of Sales and Marketing, said that this effort to attract gay newlyweds began right after the legalization was announced.
Richard Earls, publisher of Travelhopper.com, said that there are many popular vacation spots that still have a strong homophobic bias. He said that travel agents that want to cash in on New York's gay newlyweds should market gay-friendly locations. “A honeymoon is a time when people want to be turned inward and focusing their attention on each other rather than having to be looking over their shoulder.”
Earls added that places that are currently less welcoming of gays might change their tune when they see the revenue stream going elsewhere.
