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Gay and Lesbian Market List "Gay-Friendly" Environment
as Primary Travel Concern
According to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel
Association, gay and lesbian travelers revealed that gay-friendly
environments are their primary consideration when booking a travel
package. This ground breaking survey additionally acknowledged that
42.5% prefer an exclusively gay and lesbian cruise or tour group,
while an additional 30.4% prefer a mixed, yet reputably gay-friendly
travel experience.
Meeting the specific needs and concerns of the gay traveling
population are gay owned and operated travel ventures like Chicago-based
Toto Tours. Led by Dan Ware, Toto Tours has provided small-group adventure
travel tours to a variety of exotic and thrilling destinations and
ports of call around the world for more than a decade.
Gay customers expect the same degree of professionalism
and service from a gay friendly or gay owned business as they would
receive from mainstream tour and travel ventures. The IGLTA survey
reflects that customers expect honest, cost-effective, safe, friendly
service in addition to an exceptional knowledge of particular destinations.
Gay and lesbian owned tour groups such as Toto Tours offer quality,
friendly and professional service but possess an expanded familiarity
with travel destinations that an otherwise mainstream travel industry
would not necessarily possess or provide. For instance Toto Tours is
familiar with bars, restaurants, clubs and local attractions of special
interest to their gay customers. Consequently groups such as Toto know
in applicable situations where local gay organizations are located
in respect to travel destinations, ensuring quick support when traveling
outside the insulated borders of the United States.
The Human Rights Campaign agreed that a gay-friendly environment
is a worthy consideration of gay travelers at home or abroad. They
strongly encourage their community to consult gay guidebooks or use
reputable gay travel planners, like Toto, who are familiar with the
intended destination when planning a trip. Obviously traveling to locations
where human rights violations are commonplace is not desirable to any
traveler--gay or otherwise. Amnesty International strongly encourages
being cautious about any eccentric behavior when traveling abroad but
never advocates doing so at the cost of diminishing one's sense of
self pride or the overall travel experience. Amnesty International
recommends travel to locales that welcome gay and other alternative
lifestyles.
Toto Tours is unique in providing a beautiful and enriching
travel experience to the gay community. "Making travel arrangements
to a foreign country is complicated enough without taking into account
the importance of gauging the gay-receptivity factor in advance," said
Ware. By allowing the traveler to feel personally secure and by alleviating
any apprehensions, the gay tour group enhances the travelers' personal
enjoyment by creating memories and fostering friendships that will
last a lifetime.
Chicago based Toto Tours consistently delivers thrilling,
small-group adventures to exotic locales, where the local populace
greets gay travelers as they do everyone else, with open arms.
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
(IGLTA)
4331 North Federal Highway, Suite 304
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33308
(800) 448-8550
IGLTA@aol.com
Human Rights Campaign
1012 14th St. NW #200
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 628-4160
hrc@hrcusa.org
www.hrc.org
Amnesty International
304 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington D.C. 20003
(202) 544-0200
www.amnesty-usa.org
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