Tourism marketing targeted at homosexuals reinforces stereotypes about a diverse group

As Copenhagen prepares for the arrival of participants in the World Outgames this week, the tourist industry is eagerly rubbing its hands in anticipation of the wealthy, well-educated and stylish influx of people the games will bring.

Or such is the popular image that the tourism industry paints of homosexuals – the primary audience for the Outgames and its accompanying conference on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) human rights.

LGBTQ tourists are increasingly becoming the desire of cities worldwide. And it is no wonder why: in the US alone homosexual travellers spend an estimated $64 billion annually, and a recent study found that each dollar invested in homosexual tourism marketing generates $153 in revenue.

The tourism industry in Copenhagen has a leg up on other destinations seeking to attract homosexuals, due to its relatively tolerant attitudes, and due to the fact that it boasts numerous homosexual ‘firsts’ – first gay bar, first national homosexual association, and first country to legally recognise same-sex unions.

Such openness about homosexuality also means that numerous public figures – including the city’s deputy mayor for environmental and technical issues – are openly gay, which has helped to anchor homosexuality as a modern social norm no different from race, ethnic heritage or disability.

But at the same time as homosexuals are breaking down barriers and increasingly being considered part of society’s mainstream, tourism industry marketing only serves to lump the vastly diverse group into one category based on a single trait, creating yet another stereotype.

Due to the limited size of the group – estimated to be between 2 and 13 percent in Western countries – homosexuals do represent an easily definable and significant marketing segment. But homosexuals come from all walks of life, and it is hard to see a difference in marketing to them as a group and marketing to heterosexuals as a group.

VisitCopenhagen.dk – the city’s official tourism website – singles out ‘Gays and Lesbians’, putting them on a par with ‘shoppers’ and ‘food lovers’, and the city prides itself on being an open and tolerant place for homosexuals. But one could ask whether their efforts to promote Copenhagen as a gay-friendly city would be so vigorous if homosexuals had a reputation as being ignorant cheapskates.