The show is designed for buyers and agents to meet and do business with suppliers. Taking place at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge from 22-24 June 2020, it will also feature educational sessions discussing the LGBTQ+ travel market.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, who spoke at last year’s TTG LGBT Seminar will join Andrea Richardson, head of multicultural engagement at Hilton and Rick Stiffler, VP leisure sales at Preferred Hotel Group to discuss top tips in marketing to the LGBT+ community.
Other speakers will include Geena Rocero a Filipino American Supermodel and Founder of Gender Proud will represent a transgender perspective, while Sabine Jankowski will discuss the mature view of LGBTQ+ travel.
Research by Out Now Consulting shows the LGBTQ+ travel market worldwide is now valued at $219 billion, with the figure set to grow further according to the World Tourism Organisation, which Out Now said highlighted that LGBTQ+ travel is “one of the fastest-growing markets in the worldwide travel industry”.
Simon Mayle, event director of Proud Experiences said: “It’s not surprising that social equality is now driving the travel industry to offer more inclusive services. Proud Experiences is the stage on which travel companies can now market their products and services to agents and planners who actively sell to the LGBTQ+ community”.
He added that Proud Experiences “closed last year with a wait list of brands and companies wanting to be part of the 2020 community, so we are already nearly on target to increase the business opportunities for both buyers and suppliers by another 50% over 2019.”
“The spend by the LGBTQ+ traveller is more per head than others,” Mayle said. “So for any hotel, destination, and supplier to jump onboard now, it’s not too late.”
TTG Media has teamed up with Proud Experiences to offer TTG readers the chance to win a trip to New York to attend Proud Experiences 2020. Email sgriffiths@ttgmedia.com to apply for a place, explaining in no more than 100 words why the LGBTQ+ travel market is important to your business.
