Gay Tourism: New Perspectives

Gay tourism is a dynamic and vibrant phenomenon. The definition of gay tourism is rather complex, however it is generally described as a form of niche tourism that refers to the development and marketing of tourism products and services to lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and other people (LGBTQI+). Although the term ‘gay’ technically refers to gay men and lesbians, it can also be used in a wider sense to include all other sexual orientations or gender identities under the LGBTQI+ banner. Therefore, the term ‘gay tourism’ in this book is used loosely and encompasses all forms and combinations of the LGBTQI+ acronym. Indeed, ‘gay tourism’ has been established as a more recognisable and user-friendly term than ‘LGBTQI+ tourism’ or any other derivations (Southall & Fallon, 2011).