Mr. Guaracino

Diversity Issues

Gay Commitment Ceremonies: A New Market for Hotels

By Jeff Guaracino, Vice President, Communications, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp

Gay and lesbian couples are getting hitched. It doesn't matter if local laws provide legal protections or not, gay men and lesbian women are celebrating their relationships with their families, friends and co-workers. Even gay celebrities are doing it from Rosie O'Donnell to Sir Elton John. Sometimes these ceremonies are called same-sex weddings, a commitment ceremony or as they call it in Great Britain, a pink wedding.

Within the United States, laws vary state by state. The Washington Post reported last month that more than 8,000 same sex couples have registered for licenses in Vermont; 10,000 couples have married in Massachusetts; and another 1,500 in Connecticut. New Jersey is the latest state to offer same-sex recognition within the state for couples. It is too early to determine how many New Jersey couples are planning their ceremonies now.

In some countries, such as in Canada and Spain, same-sex couples have equal protection under the law as their opposite-sex counterparts. The grassroots organization Canadians for Equal Marriage reports that more than 12,000 licenses have been issued across Canada since the Ontario Court of Appeal first allowed equal marriage in June, 2003.

What is a civil union anyway? In addition to the public celebration of a couple's relationship and commitment, civil unions or marriage provide same-sex couples similar or equal rights granted to married couples, including the rights of hospital visitation, the ability to collect survivor benefits, and eligibility for tax deductions. Businesses, public and private employers, organizations and institutions are usually required to treat civil union couples in the same manner as married persons are treated. Gay couples are not recognized by the United States government, therefore, are excluded from more than 1,000 laws that apply to heterosexual married couples. While some religious organizations do recognize gay marriages and gay clergy, others do not.

With legal recognition and a growing public acceptance of same-sex unions around the world, a new business opportunity for hotels to host formal celebrations and to create honeymoon packages has been created. In fact, gay tourism is a growing industry representing more than $50 billion spent annually in the United States. Considering that is estimated that there are around 15 million adult people who identify as GLBT in the United States, that is an incredible per trip spend.

According to Tom Roth, founder of Community Marketing Inc. in San Francisco, a well-respected gay travel research firm, gay and lesbian commitment ceremonies have the potential to be a huge boom for the travel industry representing as much as a one billion dollar market in the United States alone. Roth estimates that of 15 million adult GLBT people in the United States about 10 million people are in a committed relationship. His data assumes that a conservative 1.5 million people would travel for a commitment ceremony.

In response to this trend of same sex ceremonies, hotels are beginning to dedicate the sales teams to the gay commitment ceremony market. In April 2007, Disney theme parks and cruise ships reversed a long-standing policy of excluding gays and lesbians from buying its Fairy Tale Wedding packages. These packages can be very simple or extravagant, ranging from $15,000 to $45,000 according to Disney's web site. A Disney spokesperson would not confirm if a same-sex ceremony had actually been held on property nor provide information on future bookings. A year earlier, I tried to book a Fairy Tale Wedding package and was told by the Disney wedding specialist that if Florida law does not recognize the marriage, Disney could not allow me to throw a same-sex wedding there.

Disney faces competition and will have to fight for market share. An early trendsetter, Sonoma County, California partnered with six inns last year to announce that they intend to become the destination of choice for gay honeymoons despite California's ban on same-sex marriages or civil unions. The various packages included accommodations, cooking classes, spa services and other amenities. In 2004, Kimpton Hotels announced honeymoon packages in beautiful and romantic destinations, with populations known to be gay-friendly. The Philadelphia Downtown Marriott Hotel began courting the gay wedding market. The hotel is helped by the fact that Philadelphia Mayor John Street performed his first and only same-sex ceremony in City Hall a few days after Thanksgiving this year. Although same-sex marriages are not legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia does offer limited rights and protections to citizens and to employees of City Government.

Philadelphia Mayor Street follows in the footsteps of another big city Mayor. Back on February 12, 2004, San Francisco Mayor Newsom announced that he believed that California Constitution allowed for marriage between same-sex couples. The first gay couple to get married in that city was Phyllis Lyon age 79 and Del Martin age 83. Later that month, former View talk show host and R Family Vacations founder Rosie O'Donnell married her girlfriend, Kelli Carpenter, with a ceremony in Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. Rosie and Kelli have four children together and they were the city's first celebrity gay marriage. Around 4,000 other couples also married in San Francisco including Community Marketing's David Paisley and his partner got married. Dave, a local, stood in line with tourists.

Some of those 4,000 who got married flew red-eye flights and stayed in deluxe hotels while others got in their car and drove. Thousands of people waited for hours for the chance to say those two important words, I do. On August 12, 2004, the Supreme Court of California ruled that the marriages were void.

Media from all over the world covered these unprecedented events of gay marriage. Community Marketing, Inc. based in San Francisco, California released a research study that found that gay marriage was a potential financial boom to San Francisco and potentially to other cities that offered same-sex marriage.

On the news of gay weddings starting in San Francisco, Community Marketing initiated a review of tier 2003 market research and its historical trend data to identify the potential economic impact of gay marriage through tourism on a destination. While some research from Community Marketing Inc. based in San Francisco, California shows that in general gays and lesbians spend significantly less than straight couples do on their wedding, gay commitment ceremonies are a great opportunity to generate business.

According to Community Marketing, stores located in the Castro reported record-braking sales and many--from Gold's Gym to restaurants and caf'es --promoted "wedding specials" for the just-married. CMI's focus groups and ongoing surveys consistently indicated that gay consumers "vote with their wallets;" they distinctly prefer to visit gay-welcoming destinations, and purchase from gay-friendly suppliers when possible. 79% in the 2004 survey indicated that "progressive social policies" are important to them when making their vacation planning decisions. 93% indicated that "feeling welcome and secure" is important.

Ready to tap into the gay tourism market? How do you do it right? Do you want to learn more? Order Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing at www.books.elsevier.com/hospitality

Jeff Guaracino is VP of communications for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). He manages national and regional communications, the visiting journalist program, content development and corporate communications. Jeff specializes in communications programs to African-American, Hispanic, Canadian and gay and lesbian travelers. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building. Mr. Guaracino can be contacted at 215-599-2290 or jeff@gptmc.com Extended Bio...

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