Reaching LGBTQ+ Travelers in the Moments That Matter

LGBTQ+ consumers are ready to travel, and they’re putting their money where their values are. Now more than ever, travelers across all types of backgrounds want a diverse experience, and they are choosing brands that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

‍Fifty-six percent of travelers want to book with airlines, lodging, or cruises that are committed to DEI practices and 60% want to book with companies that exhibit DEI values within the business. In the LGBTQ+ market, that number increases exponentially: Three out of four LGBTQ+ travelers say it’s important that their preferred travel provider demonstrates DEI values similar to their own. Before the pandemic, the LGBTQ+ tourism and travel market was worth a whopping $218 billion. Given their purchasing power—and their passion for brands that share their beliefs—destination marketers must pay attention and deliver an experience these travelers will enjoy if they want to increase visitation and build loyalty. 

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The Power of the Pink Dollar Within Travel

After decades without a name, the purchasing power of the LGBTQ+ community is finally recognized. The “pink economy” or “pink dollar” represents the total purchasing power of the LQBTQ+ community, and travel is a huge priority. In the U.S. alone, the LGBTQ+ community:

• Spends 10% of its purchasing power on travel, totaling nearly $100 billion.
• Travels internationally with 77% having passports and using them two to three times per year. 
• Many travelers take luxury vacations, while others focus on multigenerational travel, sustainable experiences, or even trying new things, such as taking a cooking class or enjoying local sites. 

What brings all of these travelers together is they all want customized, personalized, and welcoming experiences. They want to visit inclusive, accessible destinations that ensure travelers from all backgrounds feel safe and accepted.

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Use Sojern Custom Audiences to Reach LGBTQ+ Travelers Online

Just like any traveler, it’s important to reach the LGBTQ+ market at the right time with the right message. At Sojern, we use our data and data partnerships to see where travelers are searching and planning their next trip. Once we identify intent, we help our clients target their desired audience at the right time to inspire them and influence their purchasing decisions.  

We curate content relevant to LGBTQ+ travelers to meet them where they are most engaged online. We create a custom list of sites whose content is generated for the LGBTQ+ community, such as Out, OutThere Travel, and ProudParenting, and use keyword contextual targeting to ensure ads are placed alongside page content that is contextually relevant. 

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Ensure Your Brand Stays Consistent With Your Values

It’s important to show your ads in a way that’s consistent with your human-centric policies, and truly embraces the LGBTQ+ travelers you’re trying to reach. When you work with the Sojern Travel Marketing Platform, we ensure your ads are shown in a way that’s consistent with your brand values, through digital content labels, viewability, and sensitive content.

Digital content labels allow you to opt out of showing your ads on content that doesn’t match your brand values. This helps you establish trust with your audience and ensure your ads aren’t placed alongside offensive content. You can proactively block inventory sources, categories, and keywords based on the subject matter or use third-party verification technology.  These options give you more control over where your content is displayed and increase both brand trust and brand safety. You can also gain control over how often your ad is viewed using viewability technology. 

These tools help you find your ideal travelers online and our destination experts are available to help you get started today. Reach out to learn more.